MVSc

Adult male elephants live in a highly dynamic world of changing sexual state, rank, association and behaviour. Physiologically musth is known to be associated with the elevated testosterone levels. There is a positive relationship between changes in testosterone and musth related behaviour, which make the animal in physiological stress. Captive male Asian elephants maintained in the elephant camp at Punnarthurkotta were utilized for the study. Experimental animals were grouped into normal, pre-musth, musth and post-musth stages. A total of 193 hours of observation were carried out by focal animal sampling technique using a behaviour score sheet. Faecal samples were collected from each animal in all stages and stored at –200 c, until it was extracted for measurement of faecal testosterone by RIA technique.

The staple food for the elephants under study was palm leaves and napier grass. The amount of palm leaves and napier grass given to growing elephants were 60 to 100 Kg and 20 to 50 Kg, respectively. Similarly for adult elephants amount ranges from 140 to 240 Kg and 50 to 100 Kg, respectively. The nutrient availability of growing and adult elephants was calculated, which shows greater than the required level. The maximum percentage of musth episodes was occurred in winter (30 %) followed by summer (29 %), post monsoon (27 %) and monsoon (14 %). The body weight loss in the experimental animals before and after musth period was about 71.66 ± 25.77 kg. The age at which first musth occurrence was about 24.10 ± 0.50 years. Age groups of 20 to30 (78 ± 3.95 days), 30 to 40(114.53 ± 8.9 days), 40 to 50 (120.37 ± 15.74 days) years elephants shows increasing trend in duration of musth, but vice versa in the age group of 50 to 60 years(90.00 ± 12.82 days). The average behavioural scores obtained for elephants in normal stages was about 12.33 ± 1.22. In pre-musth stage scores and post- musth stage the score were 34 ± 4.69 and 19.66 ± 3.10, respectively. In musth the score shot up to 70.29 ± 2.46 in first month, 78.70 ± 2.48 during second month, 68.15 ± 3.31 in third month, 58.15 ± 5.55, 51.25 ± 14.44 in fourth and fifth month, respectively. The mean faecal testosterone level during normal stage was about 770.96 ± 35.62(ng/g). The levels has increased to 1821.58  129.54(ng/g) during pre-musth stages and reached a peak level of 4307.81  242.40(ng/g) in second month of musth stage. The positive correlation (r =0.82,P<0.0002) was obtained between faecal testosterone and behavioural score in all stage of the experimental elephants. The significant differences in the faecal testosterone levels between normal versus pre-musth (P<0.00001), normal versus musth (P<0.00001), pre-musth versus musth (P<0.00001), musth versus post-musth (P<0.0003), normal versus post-musth (P<0.00001) and post- musth versus pre-musth (P<0.0003) were observed in the present study. Quantitative indicators of musth are enlargement of perineal gland was 2.75 ± 0.2, 7.15 ± 0.7, and 4.75 ± 0.1 in normal, second month of musth and pre-musth, respectively. Temporal gland enlargement was 3.5 ± 0.3, 3.15 ± 0.5 9.5 ± 0.9, in normal, post-musth and second month of musth, respectively. Flehmen response (per hour) was 3, 5 and 8 in normal, pre-musth and second month of musth, respectively. Trunk rising (per hour) was 3,8 and 17 in normal, pre-musth and second month of musth, respectively. Freezing of ears (per hour) was 0,8 and 17 in normal, pre-musth and second month of musth, respectively. Qualitative indicators at the most intensive musth stage of second month were temporal gland secretion up to jowl region, disobedience to mahout, alertness, throwing objects, urine dribbling and green penis syndrome. In addition to that in captivity swaying and stereotypic behaviours was observed.

The results of present study suggest that integrating the behavioural and endocrine level could potentially provide a more meaningful measure of musth in captive male elephants and can help to resolve the management problems.