Elephants can socialise and forage in all-male groups, shows study

Male Asian elephants are often described as solitary. But the results of a 2026 study conducted in Rajaji National Park in Uttarakhand suggests that the picture may be more complex. Researchers found that males regularly form groups, and these associations are far from random.

Patterns of grouping shift with age, reproductive state and habitat. Many of these interactions unfold in open, human-used landscapes – the same spaces where negative interactions between people and elephants are often reported.

“Elephant responses to threats are context-based and vary across regions and populations. By understanding how individuals associate with one another, we can develop more targeted conflict-mitigation strategies,” says Abhimanyu Madhusudanan, a wildlife biologist at the Wildlife Institute of India and the corresponding author of the study.

Elephant group dynamics

The study recorded 706 elephants (excluding calves), of which 219 were males. Each sighting was logged to build individual histories. Researchers also recorded whether males were alone, in all-male groups or part of mixed herds, along with their age and reproductive state.

The team then analysed the data using spatially explicit capture-recapture, a method that estimates population size by tracking how often individual animals are detected and where those sightings occur.

From these sightings, the spatially explicit capture-recapture modelling estimated around 40 adult males in the study area. Males were most often seen in mixed herds, accounting for about half the sightings (50.8%), followed by solitary bulls at 29.8% and all-male groups at 19.4%. Overall, researchers found roughly two adult females for every adult male.

Group sizes also varied. Mixed herds averaged about 9.4 individuals, while all-male groups were much smaller, averaging 3.4 elephants.

Age emerged as a key factor in how male elephants associate. Younger males were far more likely to be in mixed herds than in all-male groups – juveniles were 66 times more likely and sub-adults 22 times more likely. This pattern changed with age. Early adults were seen more often in all-male groups, while older males were frequently solitary or at times, with herds.

Physiological state also played a role. Males in musth were more likely to join mixed-sex herds, while non-musth males were more likely to form all-male groups.

A critical elephant landscape

Rajaji National Park offered a useful setting to study this. It has been less affected by poaching and holds a relatively stable elephant population. At the same time, it is also fragmented by roads, human settlements and industry.

The study was carried out between January and May 2024 in the eastern part of Rajaji National Park and the adjoining ranges of Haridwar Forest Division, covering 475 sq. km. To estimate elephant numbers and behaviour, researchers divided the landscape into 19 grid cells of 25 sq km each and surveyed each one 10 times between February and May 2024. Field teams tracked elephants along forest trails, using signs such as dung, footprints, broken branches, and foliage. Elephants were photographed and identified using features such as tusks, ear shape, tail characteristics and scars.

“It was a monumental task for a small team to cover a large area, from dense forests to hills and riverine patches. Tracking some males was easier than others. Once we tracked them, photographing them from all angles was a challenge. We had to maintain a safety buffer given the wide range of male personalities and the unpredictability of musth (a temporary reproductive state marked by heightened aggression),” says Madhusudanan.

Influence of habitat

Habitat made a visible difference. All-male groups were most often seen in open areas such as grasslands and scrublands, often close to human settlements. These landscapes reported frequent crop foraging by elephants, suggesting a possible link between grouping and high-risk behaviour. Mixed herds were present in these areas but less frequently. The study, however, cautions against over-interpreting these patterns.

“We were surprised by how much the habitat affected the association patterns. All-male groups were significantly more common in open habitats both inside and outside the national park. This is quite interesting, as this is evidence that socialising with other males is an inherent part of their biology and not just a response to anthropogenic pressure,” says Madhusudanan.

Understanding when and where males form groups could help anticipate conflict, particularly near human settlements where these patterns are most visible. For forest departments, it means shifting the focus from broad responses to tracking specific individuals and monitoring stable male groups.

The study also found that methods such as SECR can provide more reliable estimates of elephant populations, data that are critical for conservation planning.

“There is a lot more to learn about the long-term stability of all-male groups. We also need to better understand how decisions are made during collective movement and the role each individual plays. How much do older males teach younger ones? These are some of the questions that remain,” Madhusudanan shares.

This article was first published on Mongabay.