Identified Elephants of Pilanesberg

[Flutterby]

Please use this thread only for already-identified elephants. Use the other thread for posting pics of unidentified ellies, chats and discussions. Please post only one elephant per post.

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Amarula

Amarula is the biggest bull elephant in the Pilanesberg National Park. He was transferred with a few others from Kruger National Park in 1997. He was named after the cream liqueur "Amarula", made by the Southern Liqueur Company of South Africa, and who contributed to the capture of this elephant and the post release monitoring program. Amarula is easy to recognise as he has no tail. He injured his tail in the holding boma in Pilanesberg and consequently lost it. He is a huge bull with beautiful tusks. He is the oldest elephant in the park and is over 48 years old.

Amarula became famous across South Africa back in 2011 for being captured on camera flipping a tourist’s car in the park. John Somers described how his “life flashed before his eyes” as a highly aroused Amarula massaged himself against his car before flipping it over into the bushes.

Pics taken in April 2012, on Mankwe Way

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Nkemele

Nkemele was the first mature bull elephant to be caught and relocated to the Pilanesberg. However due to the fact that the capture technique and equipment needed to be refined, his expected arrival was delayed hence his name, which is Setswana for "Wait for me". Nkemele is about 42 years old. He is a huge bull with two broken tusks.

Photo by Heinrich Neumeyer

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Mavuso

Mavusu was named in honour of Mr Mavuso Msimang, the CEO of the South African National Parks Board at the time. Mr Msimang was present at Mavuso's capture. This boy is the most impressive elephant in the park, he had the longest and most perfectly matched tusks but his left tusk is now broken. Also a very distinctive hole in his right ear. Mavuso is about 45 years old.

Photo by Kerry-Anne Hare

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Pilane

He is named in honour of Chief Pilane, Chief of the Bagatla Tribe. Pilane has thick tusks the left of which is slightly higher then the right. His right tusk is broken. He also has no hair on the tip of his tail. He is about 44 years old.

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Uno

Uno only has the right tusk, and a notch/indentation on the right ear.

Tshwene Drive, 10.02.2014

[Klipspringer]

On 28 August 2020 Mavuso succumbed to injuries from a fight with another elephant bull.

[Lisbeth]

[Richprins]

What unusual footage!

[Flutterby]