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[URL=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JN6cecoP-IA]Sundowners & Dassies![/URL]
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Enjoyed this video also Kipper.

However, please help me out. It looked as though there were many tuskless elephants in the herd and
that many had fairly short tusks. There didn't seem to be any big tuskers at all.

Was it your impression that most of these elephants were fairly young? Perhaps those that survived
a previous poaching war or culling? Interesting video. Thanks for sharing.

I've noticed & been told by Benson that there are major changes in landscape & minerals across Hwange.
In some parts the animals do not need salt / mineral licks but in others after water they dig for minerals. This will also accounts for very differing sizes of tusk & tusk durability.
I have never seen Big Tuskers in Zimbabwe & I think it is because of landscape more than anything.
The land is hard limestone or Kalahari sand for the most part & feed is poor into the dry season.
You see a lot of elephants with broken tusks as well as well worn ones.

Same in Namibia. Etosha's elephants are reputed to be the largest in Africa (at least the biggest I've seen so far) but their tusks are relatively small due to mineral deficiencies in their diets.

Kipper, may I ask you which camp you stayed at in Hwange and if you recommend a stay there?

Very interesting Kipper. Thanks for your answer. But, if minerals and salts are the answer, then one would think that Amboseli elephants would have the largest tusks due to their very saline soil. Yet the greatest number of big tuskers I've seen has been in Tsavo. Will try to remember to ask the experts about this the next time I see them.

Tobi, I'm not good at trip reports, every day runs into the other for me & to be honest the dates on the videos are only guestimates on the dates I left home to the date I arrived back.
This trip was a little different for us instead of self drive we had Luxury tented Camping! WOW!
We were guinea pigs for a new venture for Humphrey & Tailormadesafaris & we booked with Fiona at Ngoko Safaris.

I can recommend this to everyone. Even real beds not camp beds, full set table, wine 3 course menu all set in the bush. Hot showers, proper toilet, We had five looking after us, including Benson.
We would game drive at 0530 & return to a new site with the camp all set up & hot showers!

It really was "Lord & Lady Kipper" We met some South African self drivers, Huh! Nomads! Who were amazed that this operation was just for us two!

Any way back to your question I have stayed, in the past, at Semolisa Bush Camp & I could not recommend it high enough for a wildlife experience.
It is a luxury tented low environment impact camp. even the paths to the tents are dried Ellie poo & the animals are free to wander through the camp.

I go to Africa for the wilderness & the bush, not just for the animals so this trip we travelled the length of Hwange but for animals & sightings then the Kennedy, Semolisa, Eastern area is the best.

Sorry, long winded but hope it helps.