Elephant tourism is often cruel to elephants, and can involve a number of abuses, including:  
Training: Elephants are trained using punishment-based methods, such as hitting them with sticks or sharp objects. They are also forced to endure a process called "the crush", where they are separated from their mothers at birth, confined to a small space, and repeatedly beaten with bull hooks. This process breaks their spirit and makes them submissive to humans.  
Isolation: Elephants are often kept in isolation when they are not performing, and are restrained by short chains in noisy, dirty conditions.  
Poor diet: Elephants are often fed poor diets. Limited medical care: Elephants receive very limited medical care.  
Forced to perform: Elephants are forced to perform tricks and activities for tourists, such as playing football, painting, riding tricycles, throwing darts, and dancing. Some captive elephants are forced to perform shows up to six times a day with no rest.  
Trauma: The trauma from these methods can leave deep scars and have a significant negative impact on an elephant's physical and psychological welfare for the rest of their lives.