phants confidence to the keeper is not very big or if the elephant is anxious, the animal will not show his foot or his injury to the keeper and will not let him to treat it.
In order to be able to treat the elephants better in the “Protected Contact”, a so-called target training was developed, based on the voluntary willingness of elephants on a rewards basis. The elephant is presented by means of a pointer rod, stretching her feet, ears, etc. through windows in a protective wall. Thus, the respective body parts can be examined or treated by the elephant keeper without creating a danger.
Also the elephantbaby Zinda from the Zoo Dublin, has to learn to be touched an cared by his keeper in a protected contact.
What is a Crush Cage?
For this case, resourceful people have created the Crush Cage (the sketch comes from the Zoo of Portland/USA). The Crush Cage is installed at a place the elephants pass daily, for example at the way to the outer enclosure.
When the elephant to be treated is in the Crush, the cage is closed and and the animal penned in as much as possible. The veterinary can take blood or the keeper cut the foots when the elephant is fixed like this.
In this way, operations which would need a narcosis otherwise can be done on the elephant. Narcosis are always very dangerous for elephants because it is never known exactly when an elephant falls into the narcosis and how strong the dose has to be.
A Crush Cage is good and useful for treating elephants without risking an accident, but it surely is wrong to use this compulsion cages for punishments.
It is possible to flog an elephant locked up like this by using a elephant hook or a jemmy, but a manhandled animal will refuse to enter this Crush cage again.
What does Offhand Management mean?
Offhand Management means not to have any contact at all with the elephants. This means that the elephants are not trained and almost not influenced directly. This manner of keeping can maybe be used in a large safari park or reservation. An example is the Parque de la Naturaleza in Cabarenco, Spain.
This method of keeping is almost not practicable in a zoo´s narrow room conditions. Usually, the stable and the outer enclosures are far too small to keep a herd of elephants in this way.
The construction has to be big enough so that the animals can keep distance in case of a social discord.