Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Africa I saw this elephant in Kruger National Park

It was a tremendous honor to see that elephant. It's almost like seeing a naked lady in the flesh for the first time and I enjoyed every moment of it.

Paul thanks for your pictures indeed. Can you remember where they were taken? By the looks of it it must have been somewhere as far South as Tshokwane/Lower Sabie and just about midway between Satara and Olifants camp in the North. If possible please confirm?

Your elephant pictures are of a true gentleman...including you, of course He is a magnificent bull and you had a rare opportunity of seeing a great king.

With regards to the weight on the tusks of the one in my pictures I would reckon him to be in the 100 lbs class aside, depending on the nerve size as mentioned previously. Over time you get a feeling about tusk weight and we can all wonder about it so seeing as my guess is as good as the previous ones I would put it between 100 and 115 pounds aside. If he was not in Kruger I would have had to consider selling my truck, the wife and both boys to pay for the downpayment on him. Soon after taking the shot the rifle I love a Lott may have changed ownership also

Yep yep yep! and of course at the same price as a warthog I think

That's just remarkable in this age and great fun to see, even in a picture.

Well, let's hope he isn't poached like these three rhinos...

"South African National Parks (SANParks) today announced that three rhinos had been lost since the beginning of the year. The animals were lost in two separate incidents. A hunting rifle and two sets of horns were recovered.

In the first incident, two white rhino were shot and killed on the Houtboschrand section of the Kruger National Park (KNP). According to Abe Sibiya, Managing Executive at KNP, �indications are that the two animals were shot on the 1st of January by a poaching group from Mozambique, their horns were removed and the group escaped�.

In the second incident, rangers deployed in the Lower Sabie area, made contact with a group of three poachers. Shots were exchanged and the three managed to escape but left behind a high calibre hunting rifle and a bag containing a set of rhino horns. In a follow up operation, the carcass of a white rhino, with horns missing was discovered. �This is not an ideal way to start the year but the initiatives that we have put in place, especially the aerial surveillance one is teaching us a lot and we are making a lot of progress� said Sibiya."
http://www.sanparks.org/about/news/default.php?id=55404

I'd give both nuts to be able to hunt an elephant! Hell, I don't need them anymore.

Check out the Big Tusker thread over at sanparks...perhaps you can find a match...

http://www.sanparks.org/forums/viewtopic.php?style=2&f=21&t=2488

Also, someone has put up an awesome website om the subject...

http://www.tuskersofafrica.com/

Wow... http://www.tuskersofafrica.com/m7/shawu_001.htm

Pieter imo guessing the weight of a tusk is akin to looking at a masterpiece rifle and guessing it�s accuracy; we just can't help ourselves. That was a magnificent specimen; he may well have thought the same about you.

By the way, if you can sell a wife I'd glady pay you a commission for selling mine.

Yes, just being a smart-a&&. That is one impressive beast.

How old does an elephant need to be, to produce such incredible tusks?

Guy

Hi Pieter,
from what I remember it was north of Lower Sabi, I think it was on one of the smaller roads not the main H4-1.
We hired a Landcruiser camper and had a great time traveling from Malelane to Parfu over a week . It was amazing to see how the lanscape changed the further north we went. KNP is truly a wonderful place.
Cheers,
Paul.

I put a posting on here last year for an Ele cow in Damaraland, Namibia going for �6k,which had to be taken before end of November 2012 and was all inclusive except flights. In the end it went for �5k to a very happy Brit.
No one else seemed interested.
Not sure if they would take severed testicals as a currency though!

Paul, I have pics of what I'm sure is the same bull almost identical to your 2nd and 3rd ones you posted from an area west of Lower Sabi and south of Skukuza in 2006. Fine bull.

I have never scanned any of those to disc; I'll have to dig them out.

It would be great if you could post the photos. It sounds like this could be the same Elephant.
Cheers,
Paul.

Thanks Paul, that settles it. It's not the same elephant as the one in the pictures is further North in the Shingwedzi region. That's about 120 miles from where you saw yours. The vegetation in your pictures gave it away.

Pity about that hunted elephant. I had a non-trophy bull available last year at about the same price, full export.

Its nice to know that there are other tuskers of that standard in Kruger. And lets hope it stays that way. It really is a treat to see a beast like that.
The Ele in Namibia went to a very happy man, and at that price who wouldn't of been! End of season/late notice stuff does come up. It was offered to me, but the wife had other ideas what to do with my money, also I haven't any real desire to shoot an Elephant. Although I did give it some thought.

I saw one like that at Kruger last month. We were in the Northern middle section. It was my first time, what an amazing place.

I need to find another album and scan more, computer issues all day, I have others for a closer look.....

That's a fine Tusker, I wonder if its the same one Pieter saw.
Thanks for posting the photo's, would be great to see some more.
Cheers,
Paul.

I don't think so Paul. The fog and vegetation could be in the Lower Sabie region on the H10 road. The big Sycamore fig tree in the background grows well along that area. If this is where I think it is this elephant could be Duke. Duke first broke the lower 3 ft off the one tusk, and then the other tusk. Two rangers got in a micro lite aircraft and flew across his territory. Low and behold they found both pieces and retrieved it for safe keeping.

However, more pictures would be appreciated and perhaps a location if possible. Thanks for sharing.

Hi Pieter,
That looks just like a bull I saw right near the gate to Scukuza(sp)camp (where the museum is?)We saw him not 200 yards from the gate in the evening. I'll try and dig up a picture of him tonight and post it.

Same?