Wheels ,
how much kg did you ever seen by an elephant in your youth in Tansania ?
Foxi
This is probably the biggest I have a photo of and it is from an open hunting area. I think the ivory is larger in diameter at the lip than it looks. The sun is shining on the front side of the tusk, if you look close I think it is wider. (Possibly my eyes are playing tricks on me.) My father didn't have an elephant license when we saw this guy.
I don't remember where this photo was taken, but he has nice mass all the way down. We did see bigger elephants than this though.
If we have any experts out here that would like to venture an educated guess on weight of the above two, it would be welcome.
We tracked one once that would rest his head on his tusks. The tips would stick in the ground. When it would cross a creek bed, it would have to turn around and back up the far bank, as it couldn't lift its head high enough going forward. I never saw the elephant but one or two of the trackers did and said he was massive.
The largest I remember a friend of the family taking in the area we normally hunted was 137/90, if I remember correct. That is probably the largest ivory I have ever seen where I personally knew the hunter. I used to have a photo, but have looked for it to post to the Magnificent 7 thread and not been able to find it.
The largest I am aware of, taken out of our ecosystem,(Greater Ruaha) weighed just over 200 each about a week after the elephant was poached according to the game warden. After drying I believe they are 189/187. The elephant was poached in 1971 as I recall. According to Rowland Ward, they are the property of the Tanzania Game Department. I have asked around and been told they think the tusks have disappeared.
If any one reading this knows more information, I will be happy to stop by Arusha or Dar to see and photograph them sometime, if they are still available.
Funny story.........
We thought we saw a monster once from a distance. There were three bulls all spread out. Two looked around 80lbs. and one looked like he would go 120 lbs. (Again, my father didn't have a license) We got closer only to realize that one of the elephants was a midget. The ivory was nearly on the ground but the elephant probably wasn't 8' tall.
All three elephant were probably around 80 lbs. We just thought we saw a monster.
