Musth is a normal physiological state in adult male elephants associated with elevated testosterone and altered behaviour. Its management in captive settings raises specific welfare questions.
Elephant musth management in captivity involves balancing keeper safety with the welfare of the musth male. Chaining musth elephants - historically common - prevents all natural movement for months and causes significant welfare harm. Modern protected contact management uses reinforced barriers that allow safe keeper interaction without physical restraint. Allowing limited movement within secure enclosures and increasing foraging enrichment during musth partially compensates for the absence of wild-type ranging behaviour. The welfare of musth males in captivity is fundamentally constrained by space limitations - no captive environment can provide the movement opportunities that musth behaviour evolved for.