Tourists watch in horror as elephant gored
2010-05-02 23:15



Helga van Staaden, Die Burger

Port Elizabeth - As a large group of tourists watched in horror a young elephant bull killed an older one in a fight at the Addo Elephant National Park last Thursday.

Mandy Roets, marketing manager of SANParks' Frontier district, said Paul, a bull in his 30s, impaled the brain of Skukuza, 47, with one of his tusks.

Tourists saw Paul chasing Skukuza, who only had one tusk, around the park throughout the afternoon.

"When Skukuza fell down, Paul dealt the death blow by piercing Skukuza's brain with his tusk.

"While it's an upsetting event to watch or hear about, we have to accept it because it's part of the animals' natural behaviour," said Roets.

Skukuza was one of eight elephants which were relocated from Kruger National Park to the Addo Elephant National Park five years ago.

Paul - also from the Kruger Park - arrived at Addo a few months after Skukuza.

The eight elephants were specifically chosen for relocation to improve the quality of the gene pool at Addo.

Skukuza's right tusk was damaged during the journey to his new home, and he lost it shortly after he arrived at Addo.

"Skukuza was peaceful and never showed any signs of aggression toward other elephants or tourists.

"Unfortunately Paul is at the stage where younger males challenge older males in an attempt to gain dominance.

"It happens most often during mating season, when elephant bulls can act aggressively toward one another."



- Die Burger

God forbid tourists see nature in all it's glory. That is what nature is all about not what is shown (edited) on TV.

what a great way to show people that africa is not Disney land.

quote:

Originally posted by wetdog2084:
what a great way to show people that africa is not Disney land.

I was thinking the same thing, so much for that Disney image.

quote:

Originally posted by onefunzr2:

Pictures hell; where's the Youtube video?!

Maybe the park needs to bring in an "Elephant Whisperer" to talk to Paul about his attitude !!

I would have felt especially priveleged to have witnessed such an unusual event.

Reminds me of a story a Game Warden related a while back. A distraught tourist waved him down and told him he had to do something - she had seen a mountain lion killing a mule deer. His reaction was quite different as he said he had spent most of his life in the woods and had never witnessed such an event - and was sorry he had missed it!

quote:

"Unfortunately Paul is at the stage where younger males challenge older males in an attempt to gain dominance.

That is NOT what Pail thought. It is his time to mate!

This ain't Mickey Mouse land.

Keith

Where are the pics and video... Damn that would burst a few liberal bubbles.

Nothing disturbs the greenies and bunny huggers more than wildlife being wild.

JPK

quote:

Originally posted by JPK:
Nothing disturbs the greenies and bunny huggers more than wildlife being wild.

JPK

Ain't that the TRUTH...

I wish I had seen that!

Right now in Southern India there is a tusker that is killing cow elephants - by last count he had gored 13 cow elephants. The wildlife wardens were looking at shooting the bull.

Just one more of many 'tourists were horrified' stories. They should stay home and watch Disney channel.

At least the professionals got it right.