Free Contact

Definition of Free Contact

From the elephant glossary Section: management

Text from EAZA-News 47, July, August, September 2004. (Elephant special)

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Author of this document is Dan Koehl, owner of the website elephant.se

The Free contact elephant management method, shortened to FC, (sometimes also referred to as Direct Contact) is based on the 5 000 years tradition of alpha animal training technique. The trainer is not only trainer, but is part of the Herd, and the trainer is the leader of the Herd, the alpha animal. NO alternative here, if the trainer fails with this, the elephant will challenge the trainer, either by attacking the trainer, or someone else. It is when the elephant doesn't accept the trainer as alpha-animal, that "accidents" occur. Free contact is relationship-dependent with each individual elephant.

Records about Free Contact from the Gajah Glossary at https://www.asesg.org/PDFfiles/Gajah/23-01-Glossary.pdf Free-contact: [see also: protected-contact] Doyle 1993) Working with captive elephants, in which there is no border between the human and the elephant.

M. Philip Kahl and Charles Santiapillai, Gajah Elephant Glossary, Gajah nr 23 (2004), Journal for Asian Elephant Specialist Group

Free Contact is during the last 20 years a political controversial issue, an object for discussions, politics and welfare, as well as insurance policies. Critical voices base their opinions on the risk for keepers due to the number of Elephant attacks, Animal Rights Activists base most of their critics on claims of abuse, and that elephants in Free Contact suffer, for various reasons related to the FC management.

Elephant handlers who still work elephants in Free Contact, constantly have to defend their preferred method of management, as if they are some kind of criminals. Free Contact elephant handlers are also frequently portrayed as primitive, unmodern, stupid, or simply being pathological and brutal, enjoying the feeling of dominating other creatures, while Protected Contact management (PC) is by Free Contact critics claimed as safer, more modern, intelligent and more positive for the elephants.

Its very seldom those discussions are balanced, and based on science, often common sense is absent, and most or almost all critical voices are from people who never worked elephants or spend five minutes alone with an elephant, without a handler present, supervising their safety. And when Free Contact became a political issue, older elephant keeper were powerless and seldom able to give their point of view. Many experienced keepers resigned in silence, when the elephants in their care were transferred to PC as parts of political decisions, also when those elephants were well behaved and not aggressive. One keeper from UK give his view as follows:

If you carried a hook and worked the animals free you are a bad person, better to lock them in a yard and never build deep relationships with keepers.
These animals now will never experience the joys of discovering new things when out for walks. I used to love watching mine being afraid of something then letting me reassure them it was ok and then becoming confident in other situations, we could allow our elephants to grow with experiences.

Andy Hayton

Less and less locations in the Western Hemisphere manage elephants in FC.

In Europe in 2003-2004, the EAZA elephant TAG carried out a survey, showing that 81% used FC with EM, and 61% used FC with LA. PC was used in 11% with EM, and 16% wit LA. No Contact was used in 8% with EM, and 22% with LA.

Situation in USA

It was generally accepted at the AZA elephant TAG meeting in 2004 that the best management method for the elephants and the keepers is the Protected Contact method. [...] It should be remembered that the fallback recommendation of the EAZA Elephant TAG is Protected Contact. EAZA-News 47, July, August, September 2004. (Elephant special)

Situation 2007 in USA

Free contact (24 zoos): National, Nashville, Maryland, Fort Worth, Oregon, Pittsburgh, Louisville, Audubon, Houston, Honolulu, Indianapolis, Cincinnati, Roger Williams Park, Sedgwick County, Bronx and Buffalo. Columbus, Burnet Park, Seneca Park, Baton Rouge (switching eventually to PC), Little Rock, Wildlife Safari, and Vallejo.

Since then, all USA Zoo elephants has been transferred to Protected Contact.

In USA, only privately owned elephants are FC, since AZA mandated PC.

There is presently 73 locations in Europe and North America which use Fee Contact as elephant management.

Name	Type	Place	Elephants
Australia Zoo (Australia)	zoo founded 0	Beerwah Sunshine Coast district	Kept totally 7, 4 present (0,4), 0 births, 1 relocated, 2 deaths
Robert Gärtner (Austria)	circus founded 0	Vienna	Kept totally 2, 1 present (0,1), 0 births, 1 relocated, 0 deaths
Pairi Daiza (Parc Paradisio) (Belgium)	zoo founded 1993	Brugelette	Kept totally 38, 15 present (2,13), 7 births, 17 relocated, 6 deaths
African Lion Safari (Ontario) (Canada)	zoo founded 1969	Cambridge	Kept totally 48, 15 present (2,13), 23 births, 25 relocated, 8 deaths
Valley Zoo, Edmonton (Canada)	zoo founded 1959	Edmonton	Kept totally 3, 1 present (0,1), 0 births, 2 relocated, 0 deaths
Barranquilla Zoo (Colombia)	zoo founded 0	Barranquilla	Kept totally 3, 1 present (1,0), 0 births, 0 relocated, 2 deaths
Brijuni Zoo (National Park) (Croatia)	zoo founded 1911	Fazana	Kept totally 5, 1 present (0,1), 0 births, 0 relocated, 4 deaths
Circus Gärtner (Croatia)	circus founded 0		Kept totally 6, 2 present (0,2), 0 births, 0 relocated, 4 deaths
Maik Gärtner (Croatia)	private founded 0		Kept totally 1, 1 present (0,1), 0 births, 0 relocated, 0 deaths
Paphos Zoo (Cyprus)	zoo founded 0	Paphos	Kept totally 2, 1 present (0,1), 0 births, 0 relocated, 1 deaths
Liberec Zoo (Czech Republic)	zoo founded 1919	Liberec	Kept totally 5, 1 present (0,1), 0 births, 0 relocated, 4 deaths
Cirque de lEurope (Max Aucante) (France)	circus founded 0		Kept totally 1, 1 present (0,1), 0 births, 0 relocated, 0 deaths
Adriana Folco-Althoff (Germany)	private founded 0	Hanau Main-Kinzig-Kreis	Kept totally 2, 2 present (0,2), 0 births, 0 relocated, 0 deaths
Berlin Zoo (Germany)	zoo founded 1844	Berlin	Kept totally 73, 4 present (0,4), 8 births, 13 relocated, 56 deaths
Carl Hagenbecks Tierpark (Stellingen) (Germany)	zoo founded 1902	Hamburg	Kept totally 168, 6 present (1,5), 22 births, 140 relocated, 22 deaths
Chiccoland Zoo (Wille-Kinderzoo) (Germany)	zoo founded 0	Dürrwangen-Haslach	Kept totally 5, 3 present (1,2), 0 births, 2 relocated, 0 deaths
Elefantenreservat Starkenberg (Germany)	zoo founded 2019	Starkenberg	Kept totally 4, 4 present (0,4), 0 births, 0 relocated, 0 deaths
Platschow Elefantenhof (Germany)	zoo founded 2000	Platschow Landkreis Ludwigslust-Parchim	Kept totally 22, 9 present (0,9), 0 births, 3 relocated, 10 deaths
Stukenbrock Safaripark (Germany)	zoo founded 0	Stukenbrock	Kept totally 13, 3 present (0,3), 0 births, 3 relocated, 7 deaths
Stuttgart Wilhelma Zoo (Germany)	zoo founded 1953	Stuttgart - Bad Cannstatt	Kept totally 10, 2 present (0,2), 0 births, 4 relocated, 4 deaths
Tierpark Ströhen (Germany)	zoo founded 1959	Ströhen	Kept totally 8, 3 present (0,3), 0 births, 3 relocated, 2 deaths
Waltersdorf Zoo (Tier-Erlebnispark Waltersdorf) (Germany)	zoo founded 0	Schönefeld	Kept totally 9, 4 present (0,4), 0 births, 4 relocated, 1 deaths
Wuppertal Zoo (Germany)	zoo founded 1879	Wuppertal	Kept totally 33, 6 present (1,5), 17 births, 17 relocated, 10 deaths
Kimba Elefant Park (Hungary)	zoo founded 2020	Győr Győr-Moson-Sopron County	Kept totally 7, 3 present (0,3), 0 births, 2 relocated, 2 deaths
Safari Park Richter (Hungary)	zoo founded 2022	Nagykőrös	Kept totally 7, 4 present (0,4), 0 births, 2 relocated, 1 deaths
Sosto Zoo (Hungary)	zoo founded 1996	Sostoi ut	Kept totally 16, 6 present (1,5), 4 births, 7 relocated, 3 deaths
American Circus (Italy)	circus founded 1963	Verona	Kept totally 33, 4 present (0,4), 0 births, 15 relocated, 14 deaths
Circus Il Florilegio (Italy)	circus founded 1990		Kept totally 4, 2 present (0,2), 0 births, 2 relocated, 0 deaths
Circus Medrano-Casartelli (Italy)	circus founded 0	Vecchia	Kept totally 4, 2 present (0,2), 0 births, 2 relocated, 0 deaths
Circus Rolando Orfei (Hanmar Circus, Coda Prin) (Italy)	circus founded 1972		Kept totally 2, 1 present (0,1), 0 births, 0 relocated, 1 deaths
Corrado Togni (Italy)	private founded 0		Kept totally 2, 2 present (0,2), 0 births, 0 relocated, 0 deaths
Fasano Zoosafari (Italy)	zoo founded 1973	Fasano, Brindisi, Apulia	Kept totally 17, 11 present (3,8), 0 births, 2 relocated, 4 deaths
Naples Fuorigrotta Zoo (Italy)	zoo founded 0	Napoli	Kept totally 17, 2 present (0,2), 0 births, 8 relocated, 7 deaths
Parco Faunistico Le Cornelle (Italy)	zoo founded 0	Valbrembo	Kept totally 10, 2 present (0,2), 0 births, 6 relocated, 2 deaths
Pistoia Zoo (Italy)	zoo founded 0	Pistoia	Kept totally 2, 0 present (0,0), 0 births, 0 relocated, 2 deaths
Pombia Safari Park Lago Maggiore (Italy)	zoo founded 1976	Pombia	Kept totally 3, 3 present (2,1), 0 births, 0 relocated, 0 deaths
Safari Ravenna (Italy)	zoo founded 2012	Ravenna, Località Mirabilandia (RA)	Kept totally 7, 2 present (0,2), 0 births, 4 relocated, 1 deaths
Almaty Zoo (Alma-Ata Zoo) (Kazakhstan)	zoo founded 1939	Almaty	Kept totally 11, 2 present (1,1), 5 births, 3 relocated, 6 deaths
Victor Hugo Cardinali circus (Portugal)	circus founded 0		Kept totally 5, 1 present (0,1), 0 births, 2 relocated, 2 deaths
Targu Mures Zoo (Romania)	zoo founded 0	Targu-Mures	Kept totally 2, 2 present (0,2), 0 births, 0 relocated, 0 deaths
Bolshoi Moscow State Circus (Russia)	circus founded 1971	Moscow	Kept totally 1, 1 present (0,1), 0 births, 0 relocated, 0 deaths
Circus Durov (Animal Theater V.L. Durov Nook) (Russia)	circus founded 1912	Moscow	Kept totally 10, 3 present (0,3), 0 births, 3 relocated, 4 deaths
Jury Durov (Russia)	circus founded 0	Moscow	Kept totally 2, 1 present (0,0), 0 births, 1 relocated, 0 deaths
Ljubljana Zoo (Slovenia)	zoo founded 1949	Ljubljana	Kept totally 3, 1 present (0,1), 0 births, 1 relocated, 1 deaths
Circo Aleman Berlin (Bügler) (Spain)	circus founded 0		Kept totally 2, 1 present (0,1), 0 births, 1 relocated, 0 deaths
Knies Kinderzoo (Switzerland)	zoo founded 1962	Rapperswil	Kept totally 21, 9 present (3,6), 7 births, 7 relocated, 5 deaths
Skanda Vale Temple (United Kingdom)	temple founded 1970	Carmarthen, Wales	Kept totally 3, 2 present (0,2), 0 births, 0 relocated, 1 deaths
West Midland Safari Park (United Kingdom)	zoo founded 1973	Bewdley, Worcestershire	Kept totally 9, 4 present (1,3), 1 births, 4 relocated, 1 deaths
Woburn Safari Park (United Kingdom)	zoo founded 1970	Woburn, Bedfordshire	Kept totally 19, 5 present (1,4), 4 births, 9 relocated, 5 deaths
B and C Ranch (Bret Carden) (United States)	circus founded 2002	Springfield, Missouri	Kept totally 3, 2 present (0,2), 0 births, 1 relocated, 0 deaths
Bones Craig (United States)	private founded 0	Sterling NY	Kept totally 3, 1 present (0,1), 0 births, 1 relocated, 1 deaths
Brian Franzen (United States)	circus founded 0	Florida	Kept totally 3, 1 present (0,1), 0 births, 2 relocated, 0 deaths
Bronx Zoo (United States)	zoo founded 1899	Bronx, New York	Kept totally 33, 2 present (0,2), 1 births, 8 relocated, 23 deaths
Carson and Barnes Circus (United States)	circus founded 1954	Hugo	Kept totally 76, 8 present (0,8), 2 births, 49 relocated, 19 deaths
Elephant Refuge North America (ERNA) (United States)	sanctuary founded 0	Attapulgus	Kept totally 3, 3 present (1,2), 0 births, 0 relocated, 0 deaths
Elephant Walk (United States)	private founded 0	Shirley	Kept totally 7, 1 present (0,1), 0 births, 4 relocated, 2 deaths
Endangered Ark Foundation (United States)	circus founded 1993	Hugo	Kept totally 28, 15 present (3,12), 7 births, 7 relocated, 6 deaths
Gary Landry (United States)	private founded 0		Kept totally 1, 1 present (0,1), 0 births, 0 relocated, 0 deaths
George Carden Circus International (United States)	circus founded 1980	Springfield	Kept totally 26, 6 present (0,6), 0 births, 15 relocated, 5 deaths
Irem Shrine Circus (United States)	circus founded 0		Kept totally 1, 1 present (0,1), 0 births, 0 relocated, 0 deaths
Jorge Barreda (United States)	circus founded 0	Sarasota	Kept totally 9, 2 present (0,2), 0 births, 6 relocated, 1 deaths
Monterey Zoo, Elephants of Africa Rescue Society (EARS) (United States)	private founded 0	Salinas	Kept totally 7, 1 present (0,1), 0 births, 1 relocated, 5 deaths
Myakka Elephant Ranch (United States)	private founded 0	Bradenton	Kept totally 5, 3 present (0,3), 0 births, 0 relocated, 2 deaths
Pittsburgh Zoo & PPG Aquarium (United States)	zoo founded 1898	Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania	Kept totally 27, 5 present (0,5), 5 births, 14 relocated, 8 deaths
Progressive Pachyderms (United States)	private founded 0	Cut & Shoot, Texas	Kept totally 1, 1 present (0,1), 0 births, 0 relocated, 0 deaths
R.W. Commerford and Sons (United States)	private founded 0	Goshen, Connecticut	Kept totally 5, 1 present (0,1), 0 births, 1 relocated, 3 deaths
Ringling Brothers Barnum and Bailey Center for Elephant Conservation (United States)	organization founded 1995	Polk City	Kept totally 73, 17 present (6,11), 21 births, 34 relocated, 22 deaths
Syracuse Zoo (Rosamond Gifford Zoo) (United States)	zoo founded 1914	Syracuse	Kept totally 29, 8 present (3,5), 12 births, 13 relocated, 8 deaths
T.I.G.E.R.S. (Bhagavan Antle) (United States)	zoo founded 0	Surfside Beach	Kept totally 1, 1 present (0,1), 0 births, 0 relocated, 0 deaths
The Preserve (Gary and Kari Johnson) (United States)	sanctuary founded 0	Fredericksburg	Kept totally 5, 3 present (0,3), 0 births, 0 relocated, 2 deaths
Trunks and Humps (Bill Swain) (United States)	private founded 0	Conroe	Kept totally 13, 2 present (0,2), 0 births, 10 relocated, 1 deaths
Two Tails Ranch (United States)	private founded 1984	Williston Levy County	Kept totally 24, 6 present (0,6), 2 births, 8 relocated, 10 deaths
Circo de México (Venezuela)	circus founded 0	Caracas	Kept totally 3, 3 present (0,3), 0 births, 0 relocated, 0 deaths

Reference list Koehl, Dan, (2025). Free Contact. Elephant Encyclopedia, available online retrieved 20 September 2021 at https://www.elephant.se/index.php?id=90. (archived at the Wayback machine)

Sources used for this article is among others:

EAZA-News 47, July, August, September 2004. (Elephant special), https://shorturl.at/jS145
Andy Hayton, UK
*EASLEY
Gábor Vadász, Hungary
Garry White, Switzerland
Matija Ramšak, Slovenia
Records about Free Contact from the Gajah Glossary, https://www.asesg.org/PDFfiles/Gajah/23-01-Glossary.pdf

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Categories glossary | management

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