Musth is a natural physiological state in bull elephants characterised by elevated testosterone and temporal gland secretion, requiring careful management to prevent welfare harms in captive settings.
Captive elephants in musth face welfare challenges from inappropriate housing, social isolation, and management responses that may include chaining or chemical intervention. In the wild, musth allows natural expression of mating competition; in captivity, these drives cannot be expressed normally, causing frustration. Over-restraint of musth bulls causes additional stress. Facilities without adequate space or protected contact infrastructure may resort to practices that compromise welfare. Wild elephant welfare during musth is primarily affected by habitat fragmentation limiting movement.