Keeping elephants in captivity is increasingly perceived negatively in some parts of the world due to the potential of negative welfare implications. When such facilities eventually close, those elephants will need to be either translocated or rehabilitated and reintegrated into the wild, with the latter being a complex process and for correct implementation, sound methods for reintegrations and their monitoring are needed to ensure that welfare remains a priority. The objective of this study was to test whether behavioural and physiological parameters, generally associated with stress in elephants, are indicative for different phases within a herd that are reintegrated from captivity into the wild. Stress related parameters used for comparisons included temporal gland secretion (TGS) and faecal glucocorticoid metabolite (fGCM) levels as well as stereotype and stress related behaviours. TGS were significantly higher during the initial release of the elephants compared to when in captivity. Frequency of stress related behaviours however, were significantly higher in captivity in comparison to the release phase. Stereotypic behaviours were only recorded in captivity and immediately ceased after release. In the first year after release, fGCM levels spiked before decreasing to pre-reintegration levels during the third year. These findings indicate the chosen stress parameters all proved effective in explaining the changes in stress experienced by elephants when being reintegrated from captivity into the wild. Moreover, the study showed that successful reintegration of elephants that have been raised in or spent over 20 years in captivity is possible without compromising welfare in the context of stress.