Newsletter July 2007

The Kruger National Park (KNP) recently lost three of its emerging tuskers in two weeks to fights for dominance. It is expected that they have been fighting with other bulls for dominance.

Mambrr was found by field rangers Mr Difference Mabunda and Mr Olsado Mulhovu while patrolling an area south of Tshokwane on April 30. At first, the carcass was believed to be that of Duke, another Kruger tusker, but Tshokwane section ranger Mr Steven Whitfield took photographs which were sent to KNP elephant expert Dr Ian Whyte, who identified the carcass as that of Mambrr. It is unlikely that this elephant died of starvation as the molars were still present, but it is believed he died from wounds suffered in a fight.

The second to be discovered dead was Mashaghadzi on May 10 by Shingwedzi section ranger, who found the decomposed carcass near Shingwedzi. Initial evidence from the wounds on the carcass suggests that this tusker was also involved in a fight with another bull and eventually died of these wounds. Mashaghadzi was named after a windmill just south of Shingwedzi, where he was often seen and photographed.

The third emerging tusker’s carcass was found by Mooiplaas section ranger, on May 14 after a visitor reported a dead elephant along the S144 (a long gravel loop road between Mopani and Shingwedzi camps). This one also showed signs of having been involved in a fight with another bull and the carcass was identified as that of Massunguine. The sad fact about Massunguine was that he was relatively young for his tusk size and could have grown to become one of the park’s great tusker legends.

INTERESTING FACTS ABOUT ANIMALS:

Did you know that Spotted Hyaena females are considerably larger than the males. Females are also masculinized due to having more testosterone in their bodies than most male hyaenas. As a result, females dominate the social hierachy, are more aggressive and have a penis like clitoris. Also, their vulva is fused to look like a pseudo scrotum and testes, making it extremely difficult to determine the sex of a hyaena.