Asian elephants in captivity need immediate attention to be bred so as to meet the increasing demand for
captive elephants and to overcome the dependence on supplementing the captive stock with wild ani-
mals. Unfortunately, captive breeding programs across the globe have met with limited success and
therefore more effort is needed to improve breeding in captivity. Endocrine profiling of reproductive hor-
mones (progestagens and androgens) and the stress hormone (glucocorticoids) could facilitate better
management and breeding strategies. In the present study, we investigated reproductive and stress phys-
iology of 12 captive Asian elephants for 10–27 months using a non-invasive method based on steroid
analysis of 1700 elephant dung samples. Most of the elephants were cycling regularly. Males during
musth showed increased fecal androgen metabolite concentrations and exhibited a slight increase in
fecal glucocorticoid metabolite levels. Elephants used in public festivals and processions showed signif-
icantly increased in faecal glucocorticoid metabolite levels. The results indicate that captive elephants
require periodic health care, better husbandry practices and scientific management for sustainable cap-
tive population.