Is it possible to get elephants to do circus tricks purely with positive reinforcement?
No, we don’t think so. The only way a human being (approx. 1/60 the weight of an elephant) can rank above an adult elephant is either through fear, learned helplessness, or in rare cases through respect based on companionship and trust. By maintaining a fear of the consequences, bullhooks and other “guides” ensure that an elephant will engage in activities it would rather not engage in, at the time controlled by the trainer. Positive reinforcement would not do since we are talking about stand still in a line, defecate on command, stand on two legs, etc. – all totally unatural behaviour for an elephant.
