SANParks.org Forums

Hi all Tuskermites !

Last June our hosts to Shingwedzi were Poenie and Selma Liebenberg - we left KNP before them and a few days later [ 17/06/2012 ] they photographped the below tusker some 10km south of Timbavati picnic spot.

When I recently went through their photos this bull immediately struck me as a possible "named" tusker and I started scanning through Aat's "TUSKERSOFAFRICA".

Unfortunately I could not come up with a certain ID. The best I could do was finding the "wart" above the elephant's eye and noticing a rather similar wart above the eye of Ngonyama's eye on the 5th photo on Aat's website.
[ Photo by Karl Kruger ]

Could this have been Ngonyama so far south of his known range ?

Aat, what do you think ?

Gerrie.

They should really make it easier for us and all line up for earrings.

100ponder,
Hi my friend... Really a nice puzzle. Although it is not impossible I doubt it is Ngonyama. Struggling with his tusks.... ad the locations. I was looking for an alternative option and think it could be Madolo because of the length and shape of the tusks and location. On the picture it is difficult to see if the tusks are widely spread like with Ngonyama and the left tusk doesn't look curved upwards.
Can't ID him with being 100% sure.


[quote="100ponder"]Hi all Tuskermites !

Last June our hosts to Shingwedzi were Poenie and Selma Liebenberg - we left KNP before them and a few days later [ 17/06/2012 ] they photographped the below tusker some 10km south of Timbavati picnic spot.

When I recently went through their photos this bull immediately struck me as a possible "named" tusker and I started scanning through Aat's "TUSKERSOFAFRICA".

Unfortunately I could not come up with a certain ID. The best I could do was finding the "wart" above the elephant's eye and noticing a rather similar wart above the eye of Ngonyama's eye on the 5th photo on Aat's website.
[ Photo by Karl Kruger ]

Could this have been Ngonyama so far south of his known range ?

Aat, what do you think ?

Gerrie.

Hi Aat,

Unfortunately only this one photo was taken of the elephant - more views would have helped a lot.

Personally I discarded Madolo as a possible - Madolo's RH tusk has a blunt splintered tip and overall
Madolo's tusks look thicker than the tusks of this bull.

As an outside chance I consider this tusker and the Impisi08 number two tusker to be the same animal.
[ See Impisi08's posting on the previous page.]

I guess we will have to wait and see if more sightings in this area are made.

I just got to share this with all the tuskermites :-

Isilu :-

Last Saturday - Isilu looked just magestic :-



And Isilu was courting the young lady standing close to his right shoulder !
[ And she was quite coy about it ! ]

Just look how huge Isilu is when compared to the cows around him - certainly bigger than
the average elephant bull.



And then today there was this tusker on the Tembe webcam - just look how thick those long tusks
are and they are still getting thicker at the lip line - another real monster developing here.

WHAT a bull, 100P!

As you all must know by now - I am single-minded about elephants with big tusks.

Now let me share with you a photo of one of the biggest tusks I am aware of and all the way from Siberia :-



This photo is from the National Geographic web site - visit
http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/2013/04/mammoth-tusks for more info.

I know I might be some-what off topic but it still is about a BIG TUSKER !

HOLY MOLY! That is one seriously massive tusk do they have a pic of the ellie that was carrying these impressive tusks? Thanks for sharing this 100 pounder

Now that's a mammoth tusk

Pun intended

Isilo is a magnificent elephant. I hope to see in in May on my visit, so long have I watched and zoomed on him from afar with Africam. The other tusker pic I think it may be Siqualo (correct me if wrong Aat)

I'm so glad, Aat, that you've given my favourite "bent ear" a name - Mavumbye. I've been keeping pictures of him when he has appeared on the Satara webcam since late 2007. The last pics I have are April 2011 and I wondered what had happened to him. He seemed to have a routine of appearing there every few months.

Shushin,
I have been one in Tembe and had all the luck you can imagin. Just arrived and taken by the camp manager to the waterhole because Isilo was there. I could maken a few hundred pictures of before he walked away. A very very impressive moment to see him. I have seen a few other tuskers as well. I am not familiar enough with the other names. Communication with Tembe does not work well, I will try to change that soon.
I really hope you see several tuskers in May and please let me know later on about your experience and if you have nice updates for my tusker site...you're welcome

[quote="Shushin"]Isilo is a magnificent elephant. I hope to see in in May on my visit, so long have I watched and zoomed on him from afar with Africam. The other tusker pic I think it may be Siqualo (correct me if wrong Aat)

Very nice to hear chirinda !! I was lucky to see him with my own eyes. Really nice tusker

Thank you Aar for the nice reply. I will if he is around have a word in Ernest's shell like and see if we can get the communications opened up .
I fear due to Isilo's age this will be the first and last chance for me to see him. We have lost so many of the big boys this last 2 years. But on the bright side we seem to have some really good and upcoming large tuskers in the making. These I have observed while doing my cam duties for Africam. I will of course endeavor to take many front view (if ellie will oblige) of any I may be lucky to see while at Tembe in May. I will contact you on my return.