Tusker king Valli proves his worth
By TMG Editor - 12 March 2014
THE next generation of elephants at Addo will hopefully grow to become longer in the tooth – and in the tusk – as the effects of decades of inbreeding are being reversed.
An elephant cow with tusks at the Addo Elephant National Park main camp used to be a rare sight.
But now, thanks to a project to inject their gene pool with new life, more and more female calves are shaking off this recessive gene.
Elephant researcher Professor Graham Kerley said this was due to the introduction of the "magnificent" bull Valli Moosa and three friends from the Kruger Park 11 years ago.
Since 2010, 17 cows have been born with tusks. -
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