Communities in the Lao People's Democratic Republic (PDR) have been utilizing captive Asian elephants (Elephas maximus) for centuries. The elephant handler (mahout) profession has remained fundamentally unchanged. Captive elephants, however, are no longer necessary in roles where they were once considered vital, particularly the logging industry. To gauge mahout demographics and assess problems associated with elephant industries, we surveyed 133 mahouts in the Lao PDR. We found that mahoutship is an aging industry with a vanishing family association. Contrasts between logging and tourism mahouts were apparent when observing family tradition, finances, and industry-related experiences. Logging mahouts rely on tourism to provide them with future employment; however, tourism cannot currently employ elephants on a scale similar to that of logging operations. The need for the traditional mahout and a large population of captive elephants may have reached its finality in Laos.