Two elephants caused a Sunday morning tailback as they squared up on the road in Hua Sat Yai sub-district of Hua Hin.
Traffic was stopped for 20 minutes as Bunchuay and Bunmee charged at each other. Park officials and soldiers managed to resolve the situation. Reports indicate that the elephants were in musth and drivers would just have to wait it out.
Musth is when bull elephants experience high testosterone levels and exhibit aggressive behaviour. Musth occurs annually, peaks during the wet season, and may last from only a few days to several months. Older, higher ranking bulls tend to come into musth during the wet season; younger bulls during the dry season. The head of the Kaeng Krachan national park in Phetchaburi has warned the public to take care after a video was shown of the elephants. An elephant in musth is believed to have an up to six times rise in reproductive hormones. They can become dangerous to their own kind as well as humans during this period. Sometimes elephants in musth are denied food and water in an effort to calm them down. Many zookeepers have been killed and animals in the wild also present serious problems.
