Why don’t elephants thrive in cold climates?
The reason is one of space again. The AZA has set the minimum standards for outdoor enclosures for a single elephant as 1,800 ft2 (167.2 m2) and of indoor enclosures as 400ft2 (37.2 m2). To do no more than turn around (using a three-point turn) an adult elephant needs 25 m2. Once the weather drops below freezing elephants (being adapted primarily for temperatures between 5 and perhaps 35 degrees centigrade), are really forced to stay indoors. This means that an already-too-small-space outside becomes intolerably small inside. With the increased confinement comes more intensive management (chaining, separation of individuals, increased interventions for foot care, increased possibilities for arthritis and other health problems). So, too, comes loss of the very little autonomy an elephant has while outside.
