Identified Tuskers of Kruger National Park

[dup]

We saw Masthulele just before sunset just below Letaba Camp in the Letaba riverbed on the eve of the 05th of April 2015.





This was my second sighting of the bull as we saw him two year earlier at Letaba Camp grazing next to Tent number 7... supervising my braaing abilities for about half an hour. It seems that the green grass around Letaba is his preferred grazing choice in the rainy season.

[aat]

MATIMBA

Characteristics
Female tusker (cow). Both tusks almost equal in length. Clean right ear, a hole in the lower side of the left ear.

Range
Satara

Tuskers of Africa - MaTimba

[aat]

MAVUMBYE

Characteristics
Right ear is "floppy", two smaller notches in the left ear. Both tusks curved in- and upwards and almost equal in length.

Range
Satara

November 2012 near Satara Camp

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[aat]

MBAZO

Named by SANParks for the Emerging Tusker competition.

Characteristics
Clean ears. The left tusk is short and curved upwards. The right tusk is long and almost straight, curved at the end.

Range
Olifants - Balule - Bangu - Satara.

Nsemani Dam, March 2005

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[Sprocky]

Mculu

Named by SANParks for the Emerging Tusker competition.

Characteristics
Large W-shaped notch in left ear. The right ear has a small hole and some notches with loose pieces of skin. Both tusks are curved inwards. The right tusk is sweeping upwards.

Range Letaba.


Mculu on the H9 about 10Km from Letaba (10 August 2014)

[aat]

MFULENI

Characteristics
Right ear: Small hole, a V-shaped notch and at top of the earlobe a loose piece of skin. Small notch in left ear. Right tusk is thick and curved, left tusk broken.

Range
Letaba

Tuskers of Africa - Mfuleni

[aat]

26 April 2014

Second named Tusker I met was MFULENI.
Last update for him (at the site) was in 2011 so I felt happy to see him again. I saw him in 2010 south of Letaba and now near the main road towards Mopani (about 5 km from camp) together with some askari's and friends.

Funny and special to say I met 5 tuskers this trip I have seen before, most of them 3 to 5 years ago. Thinking of this huge place (Kruger) and with all luck meeting 5 elephant bulls again. Does whispering really works ?

Not just "monitoring" them but giving them a name and following their life and devellopment is more exiting. Mfuleni has a broken left tusk and it's nice to see that his left "piece of tusk" is growing bit by bit.



and before he moved away into the bush at the other side of the road

[aat]

MSHATU

Characteristics
Right ear: several notches and rugged (lower section), left ear: many small notches and a hole in the lower section.
Both tusks classically shaped, almost equal in length.

Range
Olifants to Satara

Tuskers of Africa - Mshatu

[Duke]

Mshatu on 04 Jan 2015, seen just north of Satara

[RogerFraser]

Mshatu on 08 Jan 2015, at Muzandzeni Picnic spot














Video: Big Tusker MSHATU at Muzandzeni Picnic Site KNP January 8 2015