I was almost charged by this male elephant in musth. Why are male elephants so aggressive during this time? Musth is a natural period when a bull’s testosterone levels rise dramatically. This hormone elevates dominance, confidence, and the urge to compete for breeding rights. Bulls become highly sensitive and easily triggered, using aggression both as a signal to rival males and as a warning to keep their distance. #ElephantMusth #Sunworldsafaris #Soroicollection #WildlifePhotography #AfricanEle

You may have heard about elephant musth before, and may even know that it relates in some way to bull elephants and mating… But there’s much more to it than that. What exactly is ‘musth’? Musth is a biological condition affecting all adult male elephants (also known as bull elephants) that occurs for 2-3 months each year. During this period bull elephants secrete a significant amount of a hormone-rich substance called temporin from their temporal glands on either side of their foreheads, which i