Late one Thursday afternoon, as we were making our way back through the bush toward a much anticipated dinner, we came upon a captivating and unexpected scene. Tired yet ever curious, we turned off the Toyota to watch two adult male elephants engaging in a jousting match. For several minutes, they circled and faced off without making physical contact—a display of male elephant behavior that, until then, I had not witnessed.
As the spectacle continued, the interaction gradually escalated. Neither elephant showed any sign of retreat; instead it was a serious contest. Trunks collided, tusks clashed, and occasional body thuds punctuated the conflict. At times we could see one or two elephants, at other times we heard them and watched as trees fell and branches flew. The joust went on until a larger male appeared. At his approach, the two elephants disengaged, each moving off in a separate direction.
What we observed is a glimpse into a broader pattern of male elephant behavior. When male elephants engage in physical confrontations it is a way to establish dominance without resorting to potentially lethal combat. During these encounters, elephants push against each other with their bodies and heads and interlock their tusks in a form of wrestling. This behavior allows them to gauge one another’s strength and size while minimizing the risk of serious injury.
A male in musth—a period of heightened aggression and sexual activity—has a striking advantage, winning most (98%) of the encounters. At other times, body size and strategy are the determining factors.
These physical encounters serve multiple purposes in the male elephant herd. They help establish a hierarchy, determine access to females during breeding seasons, and contribute to the social education of younger elephants. Mature bulls—those over 26 years—guide the behavior of younger individuals calming them and teaching them to manage aggression.
Once the elephants dispersed, we resumed our journey toward dinner. Expectations of the meal mingled with our look into elephant life, each flavor a reminder of the day’s delights. The beauty of the wild and the comfort of a shared meal.
How interesting it is that even physical aggression serves a purpose in elephant society - education of the young and survival of the species. We could learn a lot about establishing dominance without resorting to potentially lethal combat..!