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Thanks Esther,
For you and for all A wonderful and healthy 2013 and hoping Kruger will be Kruger in 2013 with all respect for the animals without hotels or other things that not belong to this special place on earth !!!

*** NEW Stories ***
Like my previous TR’s, this is not going to be a day to day TR, but a series of stories about animals and special situations based on our last trip from november 11th 2012 till december 9th 2012.

Story 02 – Big Boys are Beautiful


For the ones knowing me a bit better it will be not a surprise this story is about Tuskers
Big and / or promising tuskers. Tuskers are : Fascinating , Special, Impressing and very very Interesting.
I am also writing this story to try to convince the visitors of Kruger and other (south) african areas and countries to pay extra attention to these gentle giants. Make photo’s and please post them at the Big Tusker thread (part of Mammals section) or contact me for ID'ing them if I can.

I recently posted a special about Big Tusker MAC with interesting figures and info (also posted at the Mammals section). MAC has been tracked and traced for more then 10 years now and we all learned a lot about all his movements and habits etc…

After this introduction just one more reason to pay extra attention …. The number of Big Tuskers is less then most rare animals / species in Kruger…. So it is a great privilege to meet one.

Coming to the story… I like to present you 5 named tuskers I met during my last trip to Kruger (nov-dec 2012)


First one I like to show is RICEHO
I met him just south of Shingwedzi camp along the main road.
Very nice tusker with promising tusks, growing well and both tusks are thick
I could get close to him, he was very relaxed and friendly. A bit of “whispering” and he was posing as it should be.

First contact… coming towards you and looking at each other … are you relaxed ?
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Getting closer and saying Hi…. Don’t laugh but I am always talking to them as a friend… in whisper mode telling him that he will be on the internet with new pictures… making him proud

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It’s great to get close and just look at him… eating in a reaxed way.

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Second tusker, just about 5km away of Riceho, I found MANDZEMBA
Great to see him again, I remember I found him in february 2009 and decided to name him, convinced he would be a big tusker in near future. See what happened and happens… his tusks are growing fast. Also “whispered” with and to him for some time before he came out of the bush (I waited for almost an hour)

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He came on the road, took his time for posing for his new pictures.

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I realized that this was the 3rd time I met him after 2009 and May 2011.

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Very nice to see him crossing the road in front of me and starting to eat again at the other side of the road.
Also funny… I told some other people (a few cars stopped for him) that they were looking at a named Tusker and suddenly I saw camera’s for making pictures… and with a smile I counted 3 more tusker-friends

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After a while he disappeared again into the bush….

Next day, almost same time and place…. I saw him again

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Near Letaba, main road along the Letaba riverbed I found this nice tusker HLAHLENI
A beautiful tusker with classic shaped tusks and also a potential Big Tusker

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Coming out of the bush and ready to go to the riverbed he was posing nicely on the road in front of me… could it be better ?

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Next, number 4 …. We go to the homeland for several tuskers…. Mopani (Mooiplaas waterhole)
Some tuskers do travel a lot , some tuskers do have a kind of area they almost never leave… an interesting fact to keep in mind.
One of the tuskers who does not travel a lot is KALEKA.
I met a few times before and again I found him in “his” area , near Mooiplaas waterhole.

At a distance I saw a bull eating grass, using my binoc’s I recognized him as Kaleka and “asked” him to come closer.

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And friendly as most of them are…he started to move… to my direction…

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As you can see on the pictures he used his trunk to recognize me…. And saying “Hello” by some rumbling…. What a sound that is…..

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After saying hello he continued with eating (what else..?)

Next day, late afternoon again I saw him again and with the nice sunlight I made a few extra pictures.

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And finally number 5 , close to Satara camp I found KUMANA.
Special for me since I never saw this one before.

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Wide splayed tusks and as you can see he was not really taking care of his ears… ragged and notches and holes….

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Well…. Probably more to come about the tuskers… but checking so many photo’s does cost time.
After the Birth story I hope you liked this one too…. Promising that next story will be about ehhhh Cats???

Aat & Elly


Many other pictures of last en other trips:
My Wildlife Photography Site
http://www.awv-photography.com

Awesome episode, Aat

Gladly that we booked Shingwedzi as the North is indeed the best area to find them

Glad you also saw Hlahleni as I remember our appointment with him still very well as he held up the cars directly at the crossing in front of the Letaba camp although he was well behaved

Needless to say that you are the tusker whisperer as they posed so nice for you and you even got front shots Next time when I will met one of them I will start to whisper tuskerish as well

Stunning episode of the Big Boys the pics are awesome.

What a special feeling must run through your veins, when you see these majestic giants once again in their natural wonderful surroundings.... alive and well.

Looking forward to your Kitty episode.

Aat, I am not that long back from Kruger and you were very much in my thoughts while in Letaba. I just realised again how fortunate we are to have you on the forum and how much you have sensitised us to these magnificent tuskers, past and present.

Thank you for that

Aat, thank you

It is just brilliant the insight you give us into these animals! Thank you so much!
The impala giving birth brought tears to my eyes, such a special moment to have captured. And I never, ever tire of learning about the big tuskers of KNP.

Aat , I'm very happy you found your friends... Hlahleni, Kumana, Riceho, Kaleka, Mandzemba
and also some of mine

what magnificent meeting it has been for you
thank you for sharing

Thanks Pumbaa,
When I am right you are close to your trip to kruger.... so I really wish you a wonderful trip and great sightings including Tuskers. I hope they are going to pose for you so you can take many front shots.
Please also ask around in Shingwedzi if they know something about Machachule .. if he is still around
Last photo's I saw showed a very thin Machachule.

Hey Aat, glad I found your TR thread.

What an amazing sighting to witness, the birth of an animal, very special indeed and thanx for sharing.

Great Big Boys indeed with awesome tuskies! Also great pics of all of them, I can sence the "whispering" in these shots......

Thanks,
Meeting a tusker you haven't seen before is very special and meeting tuskers you have seen before makes you very happy. Just to see they are doing well and the devellopment of their tusks is just GREAT !!

What can I say to these words ? ...nothing I guess.... thank you very much Related to your Letaba thoughts ... my name is enbedded in LeTAbA.... that's why you were thinking of me

How nice to see the Tusker-whisperer in action! So glad these 5 obliged to give the "tusker-master" some great new shots!

Amazing photos Aat

Admire your courage to hold your nerve

The 'Ellie Whisperer' does it again

Thanks, you're welcome