A large elephant bull with impressive tusks, in the height of musth, was seen sauntering through the Africa on Foot and nThambo Tree Camp. Both camps are open which means animals are able to roam freely throughout. This leaves an air of adventure and unpredictability to your average, run-of-the-mill safari. What happened yesterday was quite remarkable and rather entertaining for guests staying at nThambo Tree Camp. While they were ordering their breakfast from Isaac, they got to watch a bull elephant drinking from the pool !
The tusker seen at camp was in full blown musth. Musth is the term used to describe highly aggressive behaviour that occurs periodically when there is a large rise in reproductive hormones. Testosterone levels are at an all time high which means a bull’s beahviour during this period is highly unpredictable. A bull will often segregate themselves from the rest of the herd because of their aggressive tendencies. An elephant in musth is to be avoided until he has “recovered” from his condition !
We managed to capture footage of the tusker snapping a few branches around the boma area at nThambo Tree Camp. We also observed him lumbering over to the pool area to quench his thirst. Kevin and Mike were on the scene at Africa on Foot, quietly observing the tusker’s restless attitude. We have a video of the experience. It’s a bit shaky, but can you blame them?
How could we tell this elephant was in musth? Apart from the obvious aggression, there are 3 main behaviours we identified from the video and the ranger reports.
Firstly, the bull will decrease his food intake but increase the territory he roams. This bull was seen moving from the Africa on Foot territory and over to nThambo Tree Camp. He actually attacked one of the ranger’s cars which was stationary! Secondly, he is seen drinking from the pool. A bull in musth has an excessive need to drink water because of urine loss during this period of time, causing lack of fluids. He constantly needs to replenish his thirst to avoid dehydration. Thirdly, if you look closely you will notice what looks like a massive tear stain near his eye. Often, elephants in musth secrete a substance called temporin from the temporal ducts on the side of their head.
Our conclusion? Steer clear – this bull was in musth. Watch the videos of this large pachyderm with an even larger attitude!
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