SANParks.org Forums

Here's one I saw in Jun 2004 in the Shingwedzi river.

Were they able to identify if it is one of the big tuskers wildtuinman?

Not yet Wild@Heart,

but hopefully with Krokedille's contribution dr Ian Whyte could do just that. It seems like we have the same one on different pics.

Hi Wildtuinman

I heard back from Dr White this morning. He said that the elephant in my photo was unknown to them and, had his broken tusk been whole, would definitely be a candidate as a big tusker. He also said that he appeared to be in good condition and probably had some way to grow. He said that the ele would be added to their database for future reference.
He didn't mention if this was the same ele you saw.

I'm chuffed to bits to have had a reply and will certainly be seeking out those big boys up Shingwedzi way in future! Good luck with getting your beastie identified.

What is the norm when naming the big tuskers?

Seeing that they did not know about him, do they name him or the people who took the photograph?

Hi Kruger,

Is Letaba (the elephant) still alive? I read about him how he used to come into the camp and the ranger had to chase him out all the time (untill the electric fencing was put up).

Here is Dr Ian Whyte's answer:

Hi all

I never knew this elephant and would not recognize him. As I understand, he was no tusker, so it could well be that he is still alive but draws no attention.

Best wishes

Ian

More information from Louis Olivier, Regional Ranger: Northern Region, KNP:

I clearly remember the elephant and vaguely as to what had happened to it.

For clarity, I have just spoken with Ben Lambrecht [082 xxx-xxxx] who was the Ranger at Letaba at the time. Ben confirmed that Letaba was unfortunately poached during the sorry days [1980's] of high scale illegal hunting from out Mozambique. The timid bull was shot and killed alongside Engelhard Dam and the tusks removed. Ben even recalled how a visitor once rested his hand on the tusk of Letaba while it was feeding through the fence on some trees inside the rest camp.

An unhappy ending to well known elephant bull in our history.

Kind regards.

Louis Olivier
Regional Ranger: Northern Region

My family and I had the pleasure of sighting Shingwedzi in late 1980. I was very young at the time but i can vaguely remember it.... my dad took a pic of him, which my sister claimed and treasures to this day!!!
as i recall he died soon after that....... all i remember is that it was him and he had two escorts with him and that he hung his trunk over his larger tusk... he crossed the road and his head looked so heavy.......and of course... HE WAS HUGE!

The Magnificent 7

The museum at Letaba displays the tusks of the 'Magnificent 7' and there are (or were?) still a few in the park including Duke I believe, but the original Big 7 were:
Joao
Ndiuiamithi
Kambaku
Mafunyane
Dzombo
Shawu and
Shingwedzi
I am not sure how many Big Tuskers there are in the park at this time - hopefully the Kruger spokesperson can tell us.

The Kruger National Park's greatest Tusker of all time was an elephant called Mandleve. At his death (of old age), he was +/- 56 years old, and carried 142 Kg (± 315lbs.) of ivory

Hi Forumites

Thank you Penny. I can confirm that, as far as we know, Duke is certainly alive. I have heard from Dr Ian Whyte - the KNP's elephant expert scientist - that Duke is probably the biggest tusker in the world at the moment as KNP elephants are thought to carry bigger ivory than anywhere else.

Just so that you know, Duke wasn't part of the original "magnificent seven" but was discovered as part of the KNP's Emerging Tuskers project. Together with scientists and elephant enthusiasts from outside the KNP, we are in the process of identifying the really big tuskers and invite people to send in their photographs of elephants with big tusks to us. If you have a good pic, send me a PM and I'll advise you of the email address.

None of the original "Magnificent Seven" are alive anymore. You can get details of them at the Letaba Elephant Museum.

By the way - Duke is in the SOUTH of the KNP! His home range centres on the waterhole called "Duke" (named after a ranger and where he gets his name from) which is to the South of Lower Sabie. Duke - who is known for his calm and relaxed way - has been seen as far North as Tshokwane and as far South as Crocodile Bridge. Incidentally, I have never seen him personally, but guests often send photographs of him to us and thus I have quite a collection of photographs of him.

Trust this helps

Kind regards
KNP Spokesman

He may only have one tusk, but what a tusk it is:

It looks like "Shimatsi" meaning left in Tsonga, I wonder if it is the same one I saw in 2004 near Shingwedzi?

More info please Acekam

Kambaku

The heaviest tusker of the magnificent 7 was crippled in the knee by farmers when it roamed outside the Park. Rangers had to relieve him from his suffering.

He was never seen with an askari, always alone.
His Tsonga name meant "big elephant".
He roamed a huge area between Tshokwane and Croc river.

Interesting was when he was examined after being shot dead many bullets was found in his body including a .22 calibre slug.

Who the hell in his right mind was trying to kill an elephant with a .22, I wonder?

Left tusk 63.2kg and 259cm
Right tusk 64kg and 265cm

Tusks to be seen in the elephant museum in Letaba.

See this for potential great tuskers:

Potential great tuskers