Question: Why is it important that elephants are pampered? Why did you decide to research pampering a specific animal instead of researching something else?

Ellen Williams answered on 16 Mar 2017:

I don’t know if it is important that elephants are ‘pampered’ per se but I do think it is important that they are adequately cared for. Especially when we are holding them in an unnatural setting. I chose to look at how elephants are behaving so we can find out what they are doing, why they are doing what they are doing, and how we can provide them with everything they need in zoos (where their choices are far more restricted than they would be in the wild). I would be interested in looking at other species too but sometimes it is important to become an ‘expert’ in a smaller, more specific area before trying to branch out. Good question though – thanks!