The Tale Of Tuskers & Makhnas

The forests and grasslands of India are home to some of the most interesting fauna species, and among them reigns the Asian elephant (Elephas maximus) with its impressive size. Some bull elephants develop massive tusks or smaller tushes, the latter of which can be found in certain females as well. But over the last few decades, wildlife experts and forest officials have observed a significant shift among bull elephants. In regions like northeastern India, the population of tuskless males or makhnas is remarkably much more than the elephants with tusks. For this year on Endangered Species Day, we delve deeper into whether this is natural, or a warning about how ivory poaching is reshaping the genes of a keystone species.

What is a ‘Makhna’?

Unlike their African counterparts, where both males and females can have tusks, in Asian elephants, only some of the males are tuskers. Females are typically tuskless or have small, barely visible tusks known as tushes. Male or bull elephants with no tusks at all are referred to as ‘makhnas’, an Indian word. While makhnas have always existed in different parts of India such as the southern states and Assam, field studies suggest their numbers being astonishingly more than the tusker elephants.

The most widely circulated explanation for this is ivory poaching. When it comes to the African elephants, sighting a tuskless one was once uncommon. However, Mozambique’s Gorongosa National Park witnessed a high rate of poaching elephants for ivory to finance its prolonged civil war. This led to a massive decline of elephant population, as well as a surge in female African elephants being born tuskless. Similarly, Uganda’s Queen Elizabeth National Park saw tusklessness emerge as a dominant trait among survivors of intense poaching waves.

In Asia as well, poachers have targeted tuskers for their ivory for decades. This has resulted in the survivability of makhnas. In the Elephant Population Estimation (EPE) conducted in Assam and published in 2024, the makhna population was the highest at 64.5%, an approximation that also reflects the overall presence of tuskless elephants across northeastern India.

For elephants in the tropical forest of Mudumalai Tiger Reserve in southern India, adult male makhna elephants make up around 20% of the population. Poaching for tusks was at its peak in the 1980s, after which it was the Human-Elephant Conflict that began to emerge at a high rate and led to the death of several adult males. These resulted in the decline of tusked elephants, also explaining the higher number of tuskless left in the wild to repopulate more makhnas.

In Sri Lanka, however, the decline of tuskers is credited to other reasons as well. During its colonisation, elephants were killed for sport, and the ones with tusks made for glorious victories. Sighting a tusker there today is considered rare, as only 7% of the elephant population have tusks.

What do tusks do?

The tusks in bulls of the elephant are used for a plethora of tasks, ranging from digging and picking up objects to foraging food and peeling off bark from trees. In musth, which is an elevated phase of aggression in bulls, tuskers employ their tusks to assert dominance, and even push them into the ground as an intimidating show. In fact, tusks are also employed as a defense mechanism for the trunk—a precious limb for critical functions such as drinking, breathing, and ingestion.

While tusks become strong charging tools during competition among males, studies have suggested that they may not lead the elephant to victory when it comes to confrontation with makhnas. If the makhna elephant is in musth or is larger in size, they have the ability to shun tuskers. Interestingly, unlike what was earlier supposed, a study from Kaziranga shows that tusks may not matter to females when they choose their mate. Instead, the height, weight and body size, along with regularity in musth and seniority in age, also define the preference list for females.

Safeguarding Elephants: Measures Ahead

The rise of makhnas is increasingly shaping the genetic future of the elephant species, but the need to protect the tusker population from all threats must not lose its might. The 2024 EPE conducted in Assam reported a total elephant population being 5,828 in the state, with an encouragingly narrowing ratio between tuskers and makhnas. This suggests that increasing conservation activities and anti-poaching measures are not only stabilising the population of elephants, but also enabling the survival of tusked males.

After decades of losing countless Asian elephants in unfair acts, much is still required to conserve this majestic species that comes under the Endangered category of IUCN’s Red List. Protection and safe planning needs to be followed in areas that are susceptible to Human-Elephant Conflict. Directing the use of technology towards mitigating conflict has shown its remarkable results in the Chattisgarh radio-collaring project carried out by Wildlife SOS, indicating how such initiatives benefit both the elephants and the local communities that are met with unexpected encounters. Instead of violently confronting elephants, it is important to generate awareness in human settlements so that they can apply knowledge and sensitivity to coexist with wildlife. Habitat restoration is another equally essential measure to reestablish vast territories that were lost to anthropogenic activities. Strengthening connectivity between fragmented habitats will create safe elephant corridors for the movement of wild elephants.

Wildlife SOS continues to partake in field studies to understand animal behaviour and their moving patterns so that conflict situations in India can be allayed. To help us continue elephant care and carry out conservation research, consider making a donation towards our Elephant Conservation and Care programme.

Feature image: Mradul Pathak / Wildlife SOS