Elephant Pictures - The Magnificent SEVEN - Big Tusker Elephants

[grand veneur]

Estimating the weight of an elephant tusk from its size is only possible within the particular population of a given area, and in this case we are not even sure if it's a savanna or a forest elephant.

 

[grand veneur]

Comment on post # 397

 

[AES]

So how does your calculator work?
I estimate the circumference at the lip at 17"

(Diameter” at lip x 3 x feet of exposed ivory)*.914

The multiplier to account for root weight and adjustment to Pi.

In this instance, 6” at lip, 6’ of ivory. Pretty close to your circumference measurement …. 108# wet weight.

 

[IvW]

Estimating the weight of an elephant tusk from its size is only possible within the particular population of a given area, and in this case we are not even sure if it's a savanna or a forest elephant.

It is in the Kruger SA....no forest elephants here

 

[IvW]

(Diameter” at lip x 3 x feet of exposed ivory)*.914

The multiplier to account for root weight and adjustment to Pi.

In this instance, 6” at lip, 6’ of ivory. Pretty close to your circumference measurement …. 108# wet weight.

And no deduction or compensation for thin Ivory?

 

[IvW]

Look at Dzombo...
19.68 (almost 3 inches more) diameter tusks almost 8 feet in length(2 feet more than your over estimation) weight 122 pounds and compare to this thin tusked bull....and tell me me he is only 20lbs more than the bull in question?
Luckily you are not a DG ph telling the client this is a hundred pounder as you would be out of a job before you started.....

 

[AES]

And no deduction or compensation for thin Ivory?

Circumference takes care of that.

I respect your hunting knowledge a ton. Based on you putting him where you did on circumference, I think it would be materially less possible to substantiate your weight in the low 60s v mine at 100. I am no expert, just a hunch. That elephant doesn’t curve much but is very long and quite old. He’s all of it.

 

[AES]

Look at Dzombo...
19.68 (almost 3 inches more) diameter tusks almost 8 feet in length(2 feet more than your over estimation) weight 122 pounds and compare to this thin tusked bull....and tell me me he is only 20lbs more than the bull in question?
Luckily you are not a DG ph telling the client this is a hundred pounder as you would be out of a job before you started.....

I will assume this is also to me. Not sure why seemingly argumentative but here’s the answer:
You are confusing diameter and circumference. There is a meaningful multiplier (3.14) to get from one metric to the other; as such 1” diameter would mean 24# on the elephant referenced above. That’s 24 wet pounds … the 122# you cited is without a root so roughly 10% below the weigh on hoof. Further, 19.68” v my estimate of 18” means the tusk, at the base, was only .53” wider than my estimate on the other Ele.

I’m sure I would be out of a job first… you can probably make a decent living selling 100# ivory as if it were 60#.

 

[grand veneur]

It is in the Kruger SA....no forest elephants here

I know that too.

The post meant the elephant from Rwanda and there it is possible that a forest elephant from the Virunga NP occurs.

 

[Hunter-Habib]

.375 Holland & Holland Magnum pre ‘64 Winchester Model 70
300Gr Remington Round Nosed Steel Jacketed FMJ Solid
.375 Holland & Holland Magnum BRNO ZKK602
300Gr Norma Solid

 

[Wheels]

This Monarch of Amboseli died today at age 51, due to an infection from a spear wound suffered while raiding a families garden. The good news, he is past breeding age and his dna has been spread through out Amboseli, Chyulu Hills and Tsavo West. Iconic photo with Hans Meyer and Uhuru in the background.

 

[Wishfulthinker580]

This Monarch of Amboseli died today at age 51, due to an infection from a spear wound suffered while raiding a families garden. The good news, he is past breeding age and his dna has been spread through out Amboseli, Chyulu Hills and Tsavo West. Iconic photo with Hans Meyer and Uhuru in the background.


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Very cool but sad. Good news about his descendants. It’s a shame his death won’t profit anyone or his kind. I may be wrong but can you even hunt trophy elephant in Tanzania? Thanks for sharing

 

[Wheels]

Very cool but sad. Good news about his descendants. It’s a shame his death won’t profit anyone or his kind. I may be wrong but can you even hunt trophy elephant in Tanzania? Thanks for sharing

You can hunt elephant in Tanzania. This bull lived his life in Kenya where they don't have hunting.

 

[Spear Safaris]

A Bull I photographed in 2020, then again just a few weeks ago. He roams in the greater Kruger of South Africa mostly.

 

[Wishfulthinker580]

A Bull I photographed in 2020, then again just a few weeks ago. He roams in the greater Kruger of South Africa mostly.


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Holy crap. Estimate on weight??

 

[Spear Safaris]

I estimate around 110 pounds, possibly more

 

[Wishfulthinker580]

I estimate around 110 pounds, possibly more

I figured it had to be getting up there. You said Greater Kruger, one of the APNRs?

 

[Sh1kar]

It seems that there are mixed stories on the provenance of this world's record pair of Elephant tusks...

World's Record Pair of Tusks (235 lbs. and 226 lbs.)

A person from Holland and Holland claims that the tusks had been found, since there was no record of whether the bull had been killed or had died from natural death. The person writing for the museum stated that the ivory was taken by a hunter, it is said that they came from an Elephant killed near Kilimanjaro by an Arab hunter after he had been trailing it for several weeks. Another person claims that the bull was killed on the mountain but not by whom. It is also said that the body size of the tusker was not large and that the Elephant was shot by a native hunter who used an old muzzleloader rifle. A book by a Spanish professional hunter and writer claims that there were also two separate Elephants, the biggest a single tusker, killed by an Arab hunter, whose tooth weighed 235 lbs. when taken in 1899 and a pair of tusks now in the British Museum, which weighed 235 and 226 lbs. fresh. According to the Spaniard, the tusker was taken by an Arab hunter named Senoussi who worked for the slave trader Tippoo Tib, also on Mt. Kilimanjaro.

Mr. Humble, the dealer himself, supplied this photograph of the tusks when they were still together in Zanzibar in 1899.

The known history of the ivories themselves is well documented after their original sale. After the tusks were cut out, they were caravanned to east Zanzibar. An American firm bought them and shipped them to Landsberger, Humble & Company in England where they were seperated. The larger tusk was purchased by the British Museum at an unmentioned date for 350 British pounds, quite a bargain. The smaller tusk was sold to the famous cutlery firm of Joseph Rodgers and Sons, Ltd., in Sheffield, England.

After many years the tusks were at last reunited, acquired by the British Museum through Rowland Ward. The ivory was on public display until about 1973 when it was removed to the security storage area in the museum's basement where it is still to be found. The Natural History Museum is apparently most cooperative in arranging a showing for interested sportsmen.

These are now back on display in the British Museum

S

 

[Sh1kar]

A Bull I photographed in 2020, then again just a few weeks ago. He roams in the greater Kruger of South Africa mostly.


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I photographed a similar old guy in Kruger about 15 years ago

 

[DLSJR]

The Letaba Elephant Museum is an absolute “Must See” if you ever go to Kruger. It’s a fascinating place you can spend a couple hours taking in the history of some great jumbos. When I was there, I got to spend time watching some large bulls in the Letaba River that ranged from around 80 lbs to one I thought be go around 110 lbs a side. Kruger Park has some amazing tuskers.