In recent years, there's a good chance that you've noticed how protective of elephants so many of us have become.
And much of that has to do with the widespread realization that they aren't anywhere near as indestructible as they look. This is especially true when you expose them to colder temperatures than they're used to or keep them enclosed in a small space.
So while the treatment of elephants went more or less unregulated for decades, it seems that multiple nations throughout the world are making up for lost time with new laws and legal battles centering around their welfare.
And although they already had some strict laws protecting elephants, it seems that no government right now is more serious about ensuring their safety and comfort than the one presiding over Sri Lanka.