A little while back, the AZA (Association of Zoos and Aquariums) banned the elephant guide and free contact.

The "Bullhook" is ACTUALLY called, an "Ankus", "Takaw", or more modernly called "The Elephant Guide" (or just "Guide") and It is a Husbandry Tool that is used around Elephants trained in "Free Contact" - which is sharing the same space with the Elephant - for Thousands of years. The tool misleads people from its appearance most of all - It has a curved end and straight end, and is actually not completely sharp nor very dull. The tool is made to gently "grab" or grip at, pull, push, cue or simply touch the elephant at certain parts of it's body to correlate with a variety of verbal commands. The guide was not made to be a weapon against the elephant as Animal Rights Extremist groups portray it as. It is a GUIDE and serves the same purpose as a Dog's leash or a Horse's reins. It helps communicate with the animal and positively reinforce taught behaviors
ne of the most common propaganda claims by Animal Rights Extremists is that The Guide is used to cause harm, that Elephants are taught to fear it and make the Elephant "submit" to its trainer. It is a highly misleading claim and Lie. Now, To make things clear and not "sugar coat" things, There are people out there that Misuse the Guide but The MAJORITY of Elephant caregivers do not use the guide in such a neglectful way. It's not right to label all elephant handlers as "Abusers" just because they carry a Ankus / Guide. That's like Labeling all Dog owners bad just because a few Dog owners abuse their dogs... 

-

​Anyways, The Guide is not meant to harm the Elephant. Elephants are certainly not taught to fear it, They are ACTUALLY taught to get used to their caretaker holding it and touching them with it during training. Some elephants will play with the guide and engage in games with their handler, such as a game of fetch or tug of war. No, They are not "beaten into submission". Elephants cannot become submissive. Even as babies, They know their power and intelligence. Like many know, Elephants have amazing memory and If a trainer were to cause it any harm or suffering, That elephant would not be loyal at all. The Guide is not stopping an Elephant from killing or harming their trainer, or making the elephant do things it doesn't want to do. Elephants build up respect, trust and love for their handlers. Elephants are trained through POSITIVE REINFORCEMENT - which usually involves lots of food and physical contact. Same as you with your pet dog or cat. Do you "beat" your dog to get it to sit down? Of course not! It's about building that companionship and rewarding the animal

The Guide use is very important for working with Elephants in "Free Contact" because it is a vital part of communication and an extension of a handler's arm, that allows the handler to cue the elephant what to do or where to do - Again, Same as a leash for a dog or reins for a Horse. The Guide is barely a pound in weight and is up to 24 inches in length. The ends are not razor sharp but made to "grab" at the skin of the elephant without harming it. In the US, The Guide is also REQUIRED by Law and the USDA to have when working with elephants in Free contact. The Guide is also approved by the American Veterinary Association and Elephant Managers Association.

-

The guide is really most important for helping with veterinary examinations. In early training, Elephants are first taught to lift their trunk, open their mouth and lift their feet one at a time, as well as lay down. These behaviors help the vet better examine the elephant most successfully - as they are able to check inside the trunk and mouth, check the elephant's feet, underside, and give the elephant proper X-rays, blood tests and other analysis. The guide is also Helpful with keeping the Elephant away from danger or getting into trouble, which is why handlers walk beside the elephant. This is in case The Elephant may wonder off, go the wrong way or may become a problem to property or a person (which is rare). In Indian or Asian cultures, The Ankus/Takaw can be useful for self-defense against anything that wishes to harm the mahout or their elephant. 

The People who speak against and spread propaganda on the use of the Ankus / Guide are mostly Animal Rights Extremist groups, such as PETA and those that follow the agenda of Animal Rights. They have no working experience with Elephants yet pretend to know everything about Elephant care and husbandry. Animal Rights extremist groups are multi-million dollar organizations who can easily manipulate the public with simple, edited videos or media posts - These very people are even in our legal systems which is why laws banning the Guide has occurred. These people speak against the use of the guide truly because they want people to believe them - as they enjoy media attention and fame - and want to ban circuses and zoos which will cause the end of working alongside elephants and ensure their extinction. The Animal Rights industry do not care about welfare of these animals - They only want money, attention and to ban animals and people working together as well as Ban animal companions - basically controlling what we can do in the future. Their agenda is sickening and twisted. 

-

People who are against the use of the guide do not and will not understand the importance of communication between elephants and humans or how to properly work with elephants period because they are ignorant and only want to force their agenda and emotional beliefs among others. They will soon learn that propaganda never wins and there will always be those who speak the truth. If these Animal rights followers spoke up for true welfare of animals and conservation of these animals - There would be a lot more positive things done, but they are too worried about the Elephants in our care that are truly loved and protected from horrible threats in the wild than The Elephants that are suffering in the wild... They are selfish and only care about controlling what we do with animals and our bonds with animals.

Free Contact is one of the most beneficial ways of handling elephants because you have their earned respect and trust, so they'll let you get close to them to check them out closely for anything wrong with them. In free contact, Blood samples, X-rays, excellent foot care are much easier to do and managed well. 

I urge you to sign this petition and help bring free contact back to AZA Zoos!

-facts about the ankus: https://bringingnoseyhome.weebly.com/newsarticles/the-truth-about-the-bullhook