Editing Musth (section)

{{Short description|Condition in male elephants}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2024}}
[[File:Sekretausscheidung zur Musth.JPG|thumb|[[Temporin]] secretion during musth]]
[[File:2005-tusker-musth-crop.jpg|thumb|A wild [[Indian elephant]] in musth]]
[[File:Tusker in Musth.jpg|thumb|right|An elephant in musth digging its [[tusk]]s into the ground]]
[[File:Thai bull elephant in musth.jpg|thumb|An Asian elephant bull chained during musth, with discharge from the temporal glands.]]
[[File:Action In Musth (139556467).jpeg|thumb|right|Elephants in musth fighting each other]]
{{Use dmy dates|date=November 2024}}
'''Musth''' or '''must''' (from Persian, {{lit|intoxicated}}) is a periodic condition in bull (male) [[elephants]] characterized by [[aggressive behavior in animals|aggressive behavior]] and accompanied by a large rise in [[reproductive hormone]]s. It has been known in [[Asian elephant]]s for 3&nbsp;000 years but was only described in [[African elephant]]s in 1981. Evidence indicates that similar behaviour occurred in extinct [[proboscidea]]ns like [[gomphothere]]s and [[mastodon]]s.

Elephants often discharge a thick, tar-like secretion called [[temporin]] from the temporal gland during musth. Behavioral management for captive bull elephants in musth includes physical restraint and a [[starvation diet]] for several days to a week.