The tour was pretty easily accessible to them, although there was some turning in tight quarters and one short dirt path. A keeper can fit through the bars and do things to the elephants thru them. We met a trainer named Elena, who spent a lot of time explaining the handling techniques and training methods. She told us that protected contact is more natural. Instead of viewing humans as dominant herd members who are always controlling them, the elephants have their own social structure and humans are outsiders.
Training is done via positive reinforcement.
Correct behaviors are rewarded with a treat, and the trainer uses a clicker at the same time. In this way, they learn to keep their trunks down, present body parts for inspection, allow procedures such as blood draws, etc. Many of the animals came from zoos, and often their keepers came with them. For example, Tex the rhino came with his keeper, who can get him to do anything with a simple command in her Texas drawl. I am an animal rights person, and I know AK has taken a lot of flak, but I was really impressed by the quarters and the way the animals are treated.