The narwhal tusk is a sensory organ with millions of nerve endings that detects environmental changes, and understanding its function raises welfare questions about tusk damage in captive or disturbed wild narwhals.
The sensitivity of the narwhal tusk creates a welfare consideration for captive individuals or wild narwhals whose tusks are damaged through human-caused trauma. A tusk with millions of nerve endings that is broken or damaged through tank wall contact or entanglement trauma may cause significant chronic pain analogous to damaged dental nerve tissue in other mammals. This makes tusk damage a welfare concern beyond mere physical injury. The sensory function of the tusk also means that tusk-damaged narwhals may have reduced environmental perception capacity affecting their ability to feed, navigate under ice, and interact socially.