Bull Asian Elephant Welfare Improves through Social Housing

Adult male elephants (‘bulls’) have traditionally been housed alone in managed care (e.g., zoos, sanctuaries) due to their large size and increased aggression during musth, as well as the fact that they were long thought to generally lead solitary lives in the wild. We now know, however, that wild bull elephants regularly socialise both with females and other bulls, and they benefit from social interactions. This case study of socialisation of bull Asian elephants at Denver Zoo Conservation Alliance demonstrates that housing bulls socially enhances their welfare. Bulls that were housed with other bulls engaged in significantly less stereotypic behaviour than when housed alone. This reduction in stereotypy when housed socially was especially pronounced when bulls were in musth. Housing bulls together also reduced aggressive behaviour, increased affiliative (i.e., friendly) behaviour and provided opportunities for social learning. These findings highlight the benefits of socially housing bull elephants for enhancing their welfare in managed care. Information © The Authors 2025