Towards the end of 2009 whilst I was filming an elephant safari in the Tsholosho communal lands with Matupula Safaris a huge tusker was found dead in the Hwange National Park. The pilot of a light aircraft, which was flying between two of the hunting camps spotted the carcass under some trees about two kilometers from the boundary fence. The National Parks authorities granted permission to go in and investigate. Professional hunters Mark Butcher and Mark Ellement took their trackers and picked up a couple of government game scouts before walking into where the elephant lay. This video clip shows what they found under the trees.

http://www.safarinewsreel.com/blog/?p=598

Very cool video. What a great old bull.

Amazing how easy the tusks came out of the skull!!!

Great video, did you weigh the tusks ?

I knew that someone would ask!! There was no scale in the camp and the tusks were immediately taken to Hwange Main Camp. There was no scale there either so I don't know if we will ever know.

Zig

My guess is around 80 lbs.

Too cool. Thanks.

What a grand animal. The ele has been dead a long time and my big ele took 14 days to get ivory out of the sockets. This animal was dried up and the bacteria ate up all the nerve and flesh holding it in place.

Mike

Big old fella. Also love that axe.

Wow! -- not really sure I understood what they thought he died from??
G

cool video
thanks for posting

Very interesting video. What a grand old bull.

It was interesting and educative to listen/watch to the gentleman explaining.Thanks for sharing.

Best-
Locksley,R

What a wonderful old king that bull was I would love to have seen him walking around what a sight that would have been,thanks

quote:

Originally posted by zhaba:
What a wonderful old king that bull was I would love to have seen him walking around what a sight that would have been,thanks

A bit like this guy we found in Kenya.

Woodmnctry, The elephant had been dead since at least the last big rains which would have been around 6 months so it was impossible to see if it had been shot in the body by poachers. There were no bullet holes in the skull. It's teeth were in quite good nick so it had not died of starvation but it might have become ill and died, it's hard to know.

Zig

Hey Zig!

I spoke to Butch at the Houston show today and he reports that (while he doesn't remember exactly) the tusks were in the 96 pound range. I don't know about y'all, but that's close enough to a "hundred-pounder" for rednecks like me.

Butch and I were hunting Miatengwe right along the southern Hwange border back in April of last year so of course I scolded him for not trotting this old boy out for my amusement...I'd have been happy to end his troubles for him! What a magnificent beast.

Mark

A bull of yesteryear..