VIDEO | Impressive tusker to boost Addo elephant population

The Addo Elephant National Park has a new inhabitant with a commanding presence, and one that, if spotted, will be instantly recognisable – with a shoulder height of 3.18m and tusks measuring an impressive 1.39m from the lip out.

It weighs about six tons. Meet 35-year-old Tembe, which was introduced into the park on Saturday, and is the first of three bulls that will be brought in as a donation from the Tembe Elephant Park in KwaZulu-Natal.

Addo park manager Nick de Goede said Addo’s elephant numbers were in excess of 600 animals and it was vital that they continued to supplement the population genetically.

“The park’s population is seen as a key elephant population within conservation circles nationally and internationally as it is one of the most well researched and understood African elephant populations in the world,” De Goede said.

“It is for this reason that SANParks requested large bulls from the Tembe Elephant Park about a year ago to supplement our elephant population.

“The Tembe elephants are known for the size of their tusks and are genetically diverse from the Addo elephants, making them ideal for improving the genetic diversity within our elephant population.”

He said the operation of moving the elephant was no mean feat. The process, headed by SANParks’ Veterinary Wildlife Services, involved two drivers, one veterinarian, two veterinarian technicians and several other pairs of hands.

It took more than 36 hours to complete.

De Goede said he saw Tembe in the park a few days later and he appeared to be adapting well, having met and walking with two other bulls.

He said they hoped to get the other two Tembe bulls into Addo before the end of 2019.

Tembe Park is owned by the Tembe tribe and managed by Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife.

The chair of the Tembe comanagement board, Vusi Sithole, was present during the capture and officially handed the bull over to De Goede.

“On behalf of SANParks, we would like to thank Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife and the Tembe community for the kind donation of the bull,” De Goede said.

“We would also like to thank Tembe Elephant Lodge for hosting the capture teams.

“Network for Animals was also instrumental in making the operation a success by donating two satellite-tracking collars and covering the expense of the helicopter for the duration of the capture.”

The Addo Elephant National Park was proclaimed in 1931 with only 11 elephants.

Due to concerns about genetic degradation, the population was supplemented with eight bulls from the Kruger National Park in the early 2000s.

Most of these bulls have died and only two remain.