Musth in bull elephants - a periodic state of elevated testosterone and reproductive drive - creates significant welfare and safety challenges in captive elephant management.
Managing bull elephants through musth requires balancing welfare and safety. Isolation during musth periods addresses handler safety but may reduce the social experience and autonomy of affected bulls. Protected contact management that allows elephants to move freely within their space while handlers work only behind barriers represents a significant welfare advance over free contact approaches. The psychological experience of musth - involving heightened arousal, reduced behavioral inhibition, and social drives - is poorly understood in captive contexts, and welfare assessment requires monitoring individual behavioral indicators.