A bull elephant in musth paces back and forth while staring down any challengers.

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Kenya, Africa

Musth (or must) occurs in mature bull elephants and denotes a period of heightened sexual activity. It is associated with a spike in reproductive hormones and is characterized by aggressive, unpredictable behavior. This is intended to ward off competition and demonstrates the bulls’ viability to potential reproductive partners.

This bull in Kenya displays some of the tell-tale signs of musth. These includes the twisting of its trunk around the tusks, holding its ears out wide and tail out stiffly, and staring off the adversary with eyes wide open. Urine-soaked rear legs and discharge from the temporal glands are also signs of musth.

Photo © copyright by Dr. Edward Mikol.

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Related Galleries: Elephants