There is plenty of data to demonstrate the immense educational value of first-hand encounters. Reading and watching television programs about elephants cannot equal the real live animal. Sitting on the back of an elephant gives a perspective of the animal that cannot be gained through any other medium. It is safe to say that this bill's passage will mean that hundreds of thousands of children, now and in the future, will never have the unique experience of touching a live elephant. As people become more and more removed from wild spaces, every child and adult who can be reached is a potential conservationist.
Rides are also an excellent way to provide elephants with exercise and intellectual stimulation.
Elephant field researcher and MacArthur Fellowship recipient Dr. Phil Kahl recently remarked that the elephants at the Indianapolis Zoo were the fittest looking elephants he had seen in any zoo. They are fit because they get regular exercise by giving rides to visitors. By keeping our animals fit, we not only improve their health, but in the case of our expectant mothers, we are also improving the chances of a healthy calf. Obesity in captive elephants appears to be a contributing factor to the low birth rate. Dr. Iain Douglas-Hamilton , the famous elephant researcher who has spent decades doing field work in East Africa, visited the zoo in 1998 and was delighted to have an opportunity to ride an elephant.