Tuesday, November 6, 2007

Musth, Men and Teenage Boys

I learned a new word. Musth is a period of increased testosterone levels in teenage elephants during which they exhibit aggressive behavior. When I learn a new word I try to use it to increase my vocabulary. I figured "musth" was one of those words that would only be useful in winning a point in a table game.

Then I ran across this story about Pilanesberg National Park in South Africa. In 1995, rangers at the park began finding dead rhinos that were battered and mutilated. As they investigated, they found that the culprits were teenage elephants. It seems that the teenage elephants at the park were turning increasing violent and had now added murder to their rap sheets.

They were entering "musth" at a younger age and for longer periods of time. The biologists at the zoo realized that these relocated teenage elephants lacked the social structure they needed. When a few older bull elephants were added to the park, it forced the young elephants to return to their place in the elephant hierarchy and the attacks on the rhinos ceased.

Here's what is interesting. Not only did peace come back to the park, but it actually repressed the teens' testosterone levels and delayed and shortened musth.

Is there a lesson here for adult male participation in the lives of teenage boys? I think so.

"Behold, I am going to send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and terrible day of the LORD. And he will restore the hearts of the fathers to their children, and the hearts of the children to their fathers , lest I come and smite the land with a curse." Malachi 4:5-6

May the Lord restore the hearts of fathers to their children and men to the fatherless. God's structure for the family cannot be violated without consequences.

Something to think about.

1 comment:

  1. thanks for the great post on elephants and boys, I had read that and was fascinated by the story. thanks for listing my blog as well. clayton king

    ReplyDelete

What do you think? Leave a comment.