New laws could stop new elephants from being brought to UK zoos and safari parks in the future, it has been revealed.
It comes as the Government is set to receive the results of a report on the welfare of elephants in captivity.
It is understood the report advises against keeping them in zoos, as it causes them mental illness and other physical issues such as arthritis.
A senior source told The Daily Mail:
‘Once the current load of elephants die out we will say you can’t replace them.
‘It’s impossible to keep them in conditions where they are happy, the space is too small.
‘In the UK the biggest elephant enclosures are so minute. They grub up the environment so quickly too – they have an incredibly important role in that but if they are in such a small area they destroy everything.
‘It’s very likely we are going to say you can’t make elephants happy in zoos, we should instead be focusing on elephant conservation in areas that have elephants.’
New legislation, to be brought in by environment minister Zac Goldsmith, may prohibit importation of any new animals and allow the existing population to die out naturally.
