Africa's Giant Tuskers

[aat]

Thanks for the info 100ponder !

[Richprins]

Amazing!!!!!

Seems a different mindset there...conserve and report, and deal with poachers instead of hiding these glorious animals from view?

[aat]

I think it not a bad idea to put them in the spotlights.

As we all know most of the information about rhino and elephants (tuskers) is from people knowing where they are.

Showing them does not make any difference I think. Awareness how important they are can have a positive effect (I hope)

Some organizations avoid posting elephants while at their websites info about the range of elephants (tuskers) is available in detail..
Some travel organizations advertise with big tusker pictures (kenya - tanzania) so it's difficult to hide all info

Amazing!!!!!

Seems a different mindset there...conserve and report, and deal with poachers instead of hiding these glorious animals from view?

[100ponder]

It just struck me - on SANPARKS' website active discussion and participation in following Big Tuskers was terminated due to an undisclosed agenda. The Big Tuskers thread was replaced by a meaningless thread to ID tuskers where photos are rare and user requests are just referred to - the actual requests are kept away from the public eye - all very clandestine. Many tuskers and potential tuskers regularly observed are craftily side stepped - no records.

Isn't this setting the scene for large scale "harvesting" of the better tuskers without any-one getting a grip on why such tuskers will not be seen anymore?

Go and read Terry Irvin's book "Memoirs of an African Hunter" where he was the game ranger standing between the Tanzanian wildlife authorities and commercial poaching. Also read Ron Thomson's article called "Africa's Wildlife Armageddon" in the March/April edition of the African Outfitter magazine where such like incidents in Tanzania is discussed.

Luckily we have websites like "Africa Wild" and TUSKERSOFAFRICA where big tuskers are openly recorded - so now there is record although another website might try to reason away the existence of such tuskers.

[Lisbeth]

Thank you, 100ponder

[Flutterby]

[aat]

Very well said and nothing to add....

It just struck me - on SANPARKS' website active discussion and participation in following Big Tuskers was terminated due to an undisclosed agenda. The Big Tuskers thread was replaced by a meaningless thread to ID tuskers where photos are rare and user requests are just referred to - the actual requests are kept away from the public eye - all very clandestine. Many tuskers and potential tuskers regularly observed are craftily side stepped - no records.

Isn't this setting the scene for large scale "harvesting" of the better tuskers without any-one getting a grip on why such tuskers will not be seen anymore?

Go and read Terry Irvin's book "Memoirs of an African Hunter" where he was the game ranger standing between the Tanzanian wildlife authorities and commercial poaching. Also read Ron Thomson's article called "Africa's Wildlife Armageddon" in the March/April edition of the African Outfitter magazine where such like incidents in Tanzania is discussed.

Luckily we have websites like "Africa Wild" and TUSKERSOFAFRICA where big tuskers are openly recorded - so now there is record although another website might try to reason away the existence of such tuskers.

[100ponder]

The February 2016 report from the Tsavo Trust :-

[Lisbeth]

That's a serious observation plan

Never seen a cow with such long tusks

[Richprins]

Well done, 100p!

Not so sure about the SP conspiracy theory, I think they are just naturally possessive!

Interesting that melanistic serval!

My wild speculation is that bull died naturally....they scrabble around in weird places trying to get up?

All the tusks seem very long but not so heavy? 40kg is the only weight I've spotted there?