GPS aka Green Penis Syndrome
“I absolutely love Kathy’s new book! A page-turner, I read it in one sitting. Grief may have taken her to Amboseli but in nature and wildlife, she found renewal of her life. The Wisdom of Elephants takes us on her journey, her quest to see the big tuskers which was indeed cathartic, but she did find much more – visual storytelling to “open hearts and minds to the threats of elephants and the environment”. It is incredibly amazing and inspiring how in just three short days she fully immersed herself into their world. Stunning images of majestic elephants and landscapes of Amboseli taken by Kathy herself each with an individual story to tell was the cherry on top. The Wisdom of Elephants is a wonderful read for everyone.”
- Dr. Paula Kahumbu, CEO WildlifeDirect, National Geographic Explorer, Winner 2021 Whitley Award
Sex on the savanna is a fascinating subject. On Day 2 of my safari in Amboseli, Pilipili leaned over the front seat and pointed to a large bull elephant heading our way. “Can you smell him?” he whispered. As I lay on the floor of the Land Cruiser with the door open behind his seat, I lowered my camera and sniffed the air. A rank smell drifted our way. “Yes! I can!” I replied. This was the first time I knowingly witnessed a mature bull elephant in musth.
The bull held his head high, his trunk swung like a pendulum from side to side, grazing the ground or curling around his curved tusks with each step. Urine dribbled down his back legs leaving dark, wet patches. The head posture, the purposeful swagger, the curling trunk and the dripping urine were all signs of a bull in musth.
During mutsh a mature (30+ years old) bull elephant’s testosterone levels increases tenfold. This can last up to 3 months. The quiet gentle giants have a personality change and can become quite aggressive. Musth had been documented in Asian elephants but until renowned elephant researcher Dr. Joyce Poole and her mentor, Dr. Cynthia Moss, began their research in Amboseli in the late 1970’s it was thought musth did not occur in African elephants.
In 1976 Dr. Joyce Poole and Dr. Cynthia Moss, noticed a large adult bull with a slimy green penis. They named the him Green Penis. In Dr. Poole’s fascinating memoir Coming of Age with Elephants, she describes how they were concerned that the elephant had a venereal disease that could be spread to other elephants during mating.
The following year Dr. Poole began to piece together her observations. The aggressive behaviour change, secretions from temporal glands in front of the ears and Green Penis Syndrome was noticed in other healthy mature bulls. She began to suspect this was part of how male elephants show their viability as a sexual and reproductive partner to females in estrous.
Older bulls can stay in musth for 2-3 months. The constant dribbling of urine is thought to contribute to Green Penis Syndrome. It is not a problem or a disease, in fact, the scent from GPS broadcasts news to females in estrous that a male is interested in mating. Dr. Poole noted that females seem to prefer older males in musth.
Bulls in musth often move about alone searching for mates. I watched in dismay as one big bull stalked a female across the Amboseli plain. She did not appear interested in the bull’s advances as she raced towards the protection of her family with her frantic calf in tow.
Like many behaviours in elephant society, younger males learn about musth from older bulls. In terms of hierarchy, larger bulls in musth out rank younger, smaller males. This may explain why older bulls are more attractive to females in estrous. When the big bulls are not in musth they often stay together. This seemed to be the case when I met Tim and four of his giant friends hanging out in a companionable men’s group.
My fascination with elephants has not diminished over time. I can hardly wait to return to Amboseli on safari next month and learn more lessons from the elephants.
Pre-order book report.
A huge shout out of appreciation to those supporters who have already pre-ordered their copy of The Wisdom of Elephants! My goal is to hit 100 orders before the printer in Calgary begins to ship books. You can order your discounted copy here. With every sale $10 is donated to elephant conservation in Kenya. Help me get to 100 and help elephants in the process!
Bonus: Watch a 5-minute video about Dr. Paula Kahumbu’s film for the 2021 Whitley Awards narrated by Sir David Attenborough here.