Musth in male elephants involves a prolonged hormonal state associated with increased aggression that presents significant welfare challenges for both elephants and handlers in captive settings.
Musth management in captive male elephants creates a welfare dilemma: unmanaged musth risks severe aggression toward handlers and other elephants, but the isolation often used to manage musth denies bulls social contact during a period that in wild settings involves competitive social interaction. The welfare-ideal approach involves protected contact management systems that allow handler interactions without physical contact during musth, maintenance of some social interaction through barriers or adjacent housing, and environmental management to reduce musth triggers. Facilities that maintain breeding bulls face inherent welfare challenges that require ongoing commitment to bull welfare alongside safety. The broader question of whether facilities can adequately meet the welfare needs of adult male elephants given their specific behavioral requirements is increasingly informing decisions about elephant holding in zoos.