How musth affects wild elephant male welfare and the social dynamics of elephant populations.
Musth welfare in wild elephants reveals the importance of population age structure for individual wellbeing. In intact elephant populations, older bulls regulate younger male behavior through social dominance, teaching appropriate responses to musth and reducing unnecessary aggression. Where older bulls have been removed through poaching or trophy hunting, young males experience prolonged and dysregulated musth with higher injury rates from unsupervised competition. The welfare implications extend to the broader population — dysregulated young bulls in musth pose greater risks to other elephants and to humans, creating conflict cycles with welfare consequences for all involved.