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I have a pic of a youngster that is definitely going to be up there IMHO. The guy with the single tusk is fully grown, oldster. But look at the youngsters tusks, and he is still young. Both have collars.



100 ponder, those guys are ex Kruger blood IMHO, the guys from Moz was decimated and only about 2 reasonable tuskers was left in Maputoland.

Scips!
Already looks impressive....

Hello Scipio and Okie,


There have always been a small population of elephant in the Maputaland sand veldt of Natal - coming and going across the border with Mozambique.

In the late '70s and throughout the '80s Maputaland elephant moved across the Mozambique-Natal border causing a head ache to the then Natal Parks Board as elephant was a protected species but the influx was causing clashes with the sparse human population that area had at the time.

This influx was mainly due to the civil war in Mozambique which negated the luxury of game conservation.

There is no evidence that the entire population of the Elephant Park on the southern outskirts of Maputo Bay disappeared but today there is still a small group of very weary elephant living there. The majority of the elephant having decamped to safer places like the Natal side of the border.
( Interestingly, there is currently a safe corridor being set-up between the Tembe TFP and the elephant reserve to allow the free intermingling of populations.)

Of cause it is possible that during the civil war some elephant might have been scattered into Swaziland and even South Africa, in which case they might very well have found them selves a safe haven in the Southern KNP - Lower Sabi Camp is less than 200 km from Tembe. ( Elephants like Kambaku, Duke and several current tuskers in southern KNP seem to resemble the Maputaland elephant - who knows where they were actually born ? )

But, be it as it may, a lot of conservation orientated groups plus several human rights groups addressed the sudden increase of elephant numbers on the Natal side of the border where elephant-human conflict was escalating.

The end result was a watershed outcome where the local community and conservationists negotiated the formation of TEMBE - benefiting all - a real win-win outcome.

I still remember the "Liaison" meetings with the then Natal Parks Board where Spud Ludbrook gave speeches on the subject of the Maputaland elephant and illustrating their large tusk potential with a slide show.

These elephant were NEVER supplemented from any where. ( Yes, Umfolizi-Hluhluwe, Itala, StLucia etc received KNP over-flow - but Tembe, never.)

News about the tuskers

I made some updates at the tusker site with new and recent pictures of
Machachule, Kaleka and Mpenza.

Mpenza lost his right tusk, probably in nov/dec 2011. Recent pictures of myself and R Brett proves he lost right tusk. The tusker seen on Scipio's picture looks like Mpenza, with just his left curved tusk left.

@Scipio - Nice young promising tusker , you're welcome to send this one to me if you find a minute.

100ponder - thanks for reminder and filling in of details

aat - thanks for update - wonder what happened to Mpenza's other tusk Glad I have seen and photographed him in all his glory

Most of these tuskers take my breath away. We aim to see at least 5 every trip, and, close-up, they are both overpowering and magnificent.

Aat : here is another one for you . I cannot find him on your web-site .

He is huge with very big tusks , collared , and was grazing right in front of Shingwedzi restaurant on Monday morning ( 15th April ) . I will send you more pics directly to your e.mail address .

Could it be one of the STE elephants? Nkombo?

Okie,
Hi my friend hope you are doing well , give the lady in the house a hug from me and elly.

The tusker is collared by the STE organization and named Nkombo (Salamanda )
(you will find some collared ones in the STE section at my tusker site...just scroll a bit at the main page)
You know you're welcome to send the pics.
Great to see now that over some years his tusks are growing well...

@ ALL - Just updated the tusker site again with pics of Ngonyama (no entries for abour two years , but he is doing well , lives near Letaba, hut 152....

Also remarkable... received picture made in the early 80-ties of Phelwane (died in 1988) , very nice to update his page too.

I am not always able to reply immediately but still doing the best I can (a "bit" busy with work and not always home...)

Many more updates done over the last few months and at your service to do updates for you. Know that increasing number of people do send pictures directly to me ...they cannot or do not post them here

Just getting my eye in for our trip in June Aat! I so hope we see some tuskers.

Thank you Aat , and here's a from the lady too

Saw this big guy at Thihongonyeni waterhole near Mopani on New Year's day 2012. There always seems to be some big bulls hanging out around there. Was hoping Aat or one of the other tusker-lovers could help me out with a name. I looked at Aat's website but I'd rather try and identify some little brown birds I find that much easier.

Clicking on the image will open higher resolution.

Johann,
Was just looking at the one you captured. Good news , it is a named tusker called Makhadzi.
He lives in the area roughly from Mopani down to Letaba
Please send me the picture so I can update his page, please add name, location and date of sighting so I have all info together... mail to:
tuskers@zeelandnet.nl
You know this cost you one kudu horn , price per ID


[quote="Johann"]Saw this big guy at Thihongonyeni waterhole near Mopani on New Year's day 2012. There always seems to be some big bulls hanging out around there. Was hoping Aat or one of the other tusker-lovers could help me out with a name. I looked at Aat's website but I'd rather try and identify some little brown birds I find that much easier.

Evening, this elephant was seen on the 8th of April this year near Mopani. Is he a tusker, and if so- what is his name?

Ranred,
Interesting sighting. The tusker you have seen is a named one, his name is MCULU. Last update at my tuskersite is dated december 2011 so I like to ask you to send the picture(s) to me to update his page.
tuskers@zeelandnet.nl

So far he has been seen in the Letaba area so his area is Letaba up to Mopani now.


[quote="Ranred"]Evening, this elephant was seen on the 8th of April this year near Mopani. Is he a tusker, and if so- what is his name?