Musth — a periodic state of heightened testosterone and aggression in male elephants — creates significant welfare and safety challenges in zoo settings that require careful management.
Managing musth in captive bull elephants involves balancing animal welfare, keeper safety, and reproductive needs. Bulls in prolonged or intensified musth may be isolated for extended periods, causing social deprivation that itself affects welfare. Hormonal suppression is effective for safety but may have long-term health consequences and conflicts with the zoo goal of natural reproduction. Facilities without adequate space and social groupings may create environments where musth is more problematic than it would be in wild settings where bulls range widely. The gold standard is providing bulls with large spaces, appropriate social contact, and management protocols developed in collaboration with elephant welfare specialists.