Tuskers of Kruger Discussions & Identification

[Flutterby]

Great sightings Toks!

[Toko]

You forgot me

Thank you, sweet Lis

[aat]

Toko,

I was just looking at "another" site about tuskers.
The professional team in Letaba (one person) is surprized about sightings of NGODZI, KALEKA and NHLOWA. All not named there... and talking about first images of them by 2013 to 2014....

Think they are sleeping most of the time.

Just to mention that we as amateurs named and recorded these 3 and other tuskers long time ago:
NGODZI - since 2008 and updated most following years
KALEKA - since 2008 and updated most following years
NHLOWA - since 2006 and updated most following years

6 months after blocking the Big Tusker thread there I must say it's a great success.

[Toko]

Is there really any other site about tuskers, aat



You must be kidding, there is only one and it's a great one!

[nan]

you... we... are the best

well done aat

[Lisbeth]

Aat, the elephant whisperer

[Richprins]

It's interesting as to whether Kruger should have the "branding rights" on naming the tuskers...and obviously a contentious topic.

The thing started with the "magnificent seven", way back when I was a youngster, and captured the imagination of the public very well indeed! A brilliant idea, without any hidden agenda at all!

Those ellies were mostly named after their locations.

Later ones, many bigger, were also named after locations, like Phelwana, probably the biggest? And the Letaba Elephant Hall was built, a superb idea too!

Then later, the thing started with naming tuskers after respected Kruger staff, which I have no problem with at all!

But things fell flat regarding many SP activities, despite having the wonderful tool of SP forums, from the 2000's onwards, IMO, as priorities seemed to shift...

aat went about his business, and has actually been filling this void, for many years, without problems?

It is a sad state of affairs now, and sort of reflects the mindset of our custodians, SP, as misinterpreting the term "custodians" as meaning "owners", which is wrong. This mindset has become prevalent regarding commercialisation, especially, and hidden agendas and reactionary and aggressive conduct at management level.



My point is simply that this mindset has now filtered down to what should have been an innocuous issue, probably from an arrogant and paranoid management decision.

A pity, but here we are!

[Lisbeth]

That's the situation today and even worse. Conservation has become politics

[aat]

RP,
Wowwww and I am serious... very well said !

and Toko and others...yess it's clear where the real tuskermites are and feel home. I also know that several tuskerfriends do not post anywhere but directly sending their pics and additional relevant info. I know some of them are real tusker addicts, taking every opportunity to visit Kruger and to "hunt" tuskers with their camera's.

I also like to say that it's all possible thanks to you and the ones I just mentioned, otherwise I could not make all the updates and additions.
May be again, but one of the main reasons to start the tusker site was and is to follow the big boys over the years, giving names is just an extra to ID, recognize and update the right ones.

I think the examples given with NHLOWA, NGODZI and KALEKA prove that it is worth to do all this, covering 6 to 8 years of their life where we can see where they go, the changes to ears and tusks etc...
NHLOWA was not that impressive bull but 6th sense told me he would be special... he devellopped into an emerging tusker, his tusks are growing well and he devellopped a big tear from a very small notch just more recently

It's exiting and a real pleasure to see that "working" together in a good way with people from different parts of the world is possible, USA, Canada, UK, many other european countries, South Africa, Australia and probably I forget some.

So... thanks , thanks and thanks to all , it's for, with and to you.

Nan... may I give you a special because you are one of the early adaptors, suppliers and supporters !!
100ponder ... same for you without the but with
not to forget RP ...

[okie]

Aat--