One of our international partners, Utopia Scientific, is helping to illuminate just how vital bull elephant social bonds are. Dr. Caitlin O’Connell, whose work we help support, has spent decades studying male elephants in Namibia’s Etosha National Park. Her field research focuses on elephant behaviors, family hierarchies, and the complex relationships among males—insights that inform our own care strategies at The Sanctuary.
Her recent essay, “The Hidden Social Lives of Male African Elephants”(Scientific American, May 2025), challenges the outdated notion of bulls as solitary and paints a vivid picture of a world filled with hierarchies, rituals, and even leadership roles among males.
“Male elephants, we are learning, are sensitive social animals that crave companionship and need emotional support,” writes O’Connell. Her findings underscore the importance of providing male elephants—both in the wild and in human care—with the space and opportunity to form social bonds. Read the full essay here!