In 2001 STE began a long-term collaboration with Dr. Keith Hodges and his associates of the German Primate Centre. Dr. Keith Hodges is carrying out hormone analysis in elephant dung samples collected by STE researchers Henrik Rasmussen and George Wittemyer. Both Henrik and George examined stress and reproductive hormones in male and female elephants as part of their PhDs. In the last few years the German Primate Centre has established reliable methods of monitoring ovarian cycles and pregnancy in the African elephant based on the measurements of hormones excreted in the faeces.

One of the main objectives of that study was to provide non-invasive methods for monitoring reproductive function, which could be applied to animals living in zoos and in the wild. We are now applying this methodology in a project to study the endocrine and behavioural correlates of musth. This study is designed to increase our understanding of the general biology of the phenomenon of musth.