![]() Since 2007, park managers have been forced to put all its females on contraception. But the 30,000ha (74,000 acre) park has run out of space for its elephants. Johan Marais, a wildlife veterinarian internationally famous for his work with rhino and elephant, believes they are part of a unique and rare gene pool important for the fate of big tuskers. Hunted relentlessly across the continent since the late 1800s, it is estimated that fewer than 30 big tuskers remain in the whole of Africa out of a total elephant population now numbering fewer than 400,000.Įight of them are found in Tembe’s herd of just over 200 – a small but hugely significant herd. Much of the documentary, which focuses on the plight of Africa’s big and super-tuskers - elephants with tusks exceeding 45 kilograms (100 pounds) each - is filmed in South Africa’s Tembe Elephant Park, immediately south of the border with Mozambique, 400 kilometers (250 miles) north of Durban. That much was clear at the South African premiere of the documentary, which played to a nearly full theater in Durban this week. The park is owned and managed by local communities.ĭURBAN, South Africa - There is a scene at the start of the film Last of the Big Tuskers where a man is having his upper arm tattooed.Īs the artist puts the finishing touches to the work and dabs away blood, the camera pans out and an inky face with enormous tusks emerges.Įlephants have always had a way of getting under people’s skin. ![]() The park is set to be expanded by up to 26,000 hectares, allowing its herd of 200 to grow. Eight of Africa’s remaining 30 “big tuskers” live in South Africa’s Tembe Elephant Park. ![]() Expansion of a famous elephant park holds out hope for Africa’s big tuskersīy Matthew Hattingh, Mlu Mdletshe on 14 October 2019 ![]()
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