A very good friend of Kat and mine emailed me this morning. Among other things he stated:

"We went to Malindi to see Mark Easterbrook (reptile expert) and had lots of fun all the way. Apparently KWS told him that these days the big Elephants lose their tusks because they get stuck in the mud. And while (the mud) is drying out they have to leave them there! I mean what a lot of bull!. And in July they introduce this 24 hour staying in Park business again. If you leave the Park you have to pay again on your return. And with some bad luck, they go up to 80.-us per day."

I will agree that this is pure bull. I've seen KWS in Amboseli rescue an adult elephant deeply mired in a mudhole. There were about 30 men who volunteered from the camps/lodges in addition to KWS. They attached ropes to the elephant and then added water to the drying waterhole to dilute the mud, and they were able to get the elephant out. Thus the excuse it "can't be done" is not honest. If there is a will, there is a way. It is not easy, but is do-able.

I guess it must differ from park to park and on the true dedication of the rangers involved.

Some of you may know that Kat and I lost one of our favorite elephant bulls in this
manner in February.

"...these days the big Elephants lose their tusks because they get stuck in the mud..."

I have never heard something like that.

Jan - Well, I guess it's possible that a large elephant with enormous tusks that were somehow compromised...say, loosened or partially broken in a fight...who got caught in a drying mud hole...might lose a tusk but the idea that this would be a common occurrence seems to be part of the sad list of "folk tales" that swirl around when the people speaking have incomplete knowledge of the animals, their biology and their behavior. Tusks are important tools for elephants - for digging up food, manipulating objects (with the use of their trunks), and protecting themselves or fighting (the males) for mating privileges. This is a tool that is securely implanted and that is not easy to remove (when poachers have killed an elephant - they have to hack out the tusks).

By the way, if you are in Malindi, I heartily endorse experiencing Marc Easterbrook's Snake and Croc feeding at his farm and learn all about these intriguing reptiles! They are conducted on Wednesdays and Sundays at 4pm for a small fee. He is one of the most experienced "Snake Men" in Kenya (and in all of Africa!) and knows much about all African wildlife.

Perhaps they should require all KWS personnel to take a course of study, such as KPSGA
requires for their guides, to learn about the wildlife before they make statements such as this.
Yes, baby and young elephants do get stuck in mudholes or drying waterholes, and the rest of the family will stay for quite a time trying to rescue the youngster. However, eventually all the other members of the family will need food and they have to move off and leave the young one because the safety/health of the family group takes precedence over that of an individual.

However, it is unusual for the big bulls to get stuck. They are far too savy and know where all the good waterholes are that still have water and will migrate toward those places rather than risk getting stuck in a drying mudhole.

The Sheldrick Trust had a young bull elephant that needed to be relocated to Ithumba. Once there he wanted to get back to Voi and walked all the way to the Galana River. Since he had never seen a river at flood stage before and running fast, he was afraid to cross the river and he turned and walked all the way back to Ithumba - all in one day - over 100 miles! They know what they need to do and are successful in doing it.

They are truly amazing animals.