Trunk Curling
Kenya, Africa
This bull elephant in Kenya approached in an aggressive manor. That he was in musth was readily apparent, given away by the tell-tale signs of discharge from his temporal glands and urine-soaked legs. His behavior became more aggressive as he approached, flapping his ears about, with his head held high and trunk curled. He repeatedly pawed the ground and stamped his legs down in an erratic manor.
Musth is a condition in bull elephants that occurs periodically as the result of very high spikes in testosterone and other sexual hormones. It results in aggressive behaviors as the bull seeks to display his suitability for mating and to defend against other competitors.
Photo © copyright by Dr. Edward Mikol.