SYRACUSE, N.Y. -- Will zoo-goers be able to touch the elephants again? That’s a question reps from the Rosamond Gifford Zoo were hoping to get answered during a meeting with DEC officials this week.

For decades, people coming to the zoo have been about to touch the Asian elephants, but the DEC recently began enforcing a law prohibiting contact with the public.

Representatives from the four New York State zoos that house elephants met with DEC officials. They hope to reach a compromise in the near future.

"I think they understand where we're coming from, we understand where they're coming from and we just have to get a better comfort zone on both sides of the street," said Rosamond Gifford Zoo Director Chuck Doyle.

Zoo officials say contact with the elephants is one of the best ways for people to get interested in animals and the environment.