Rare “Super Tusker” Elephant Shot to Death in Tanzania Reignites Calls for Trophy Hunting Ban
An American trophy hunter from Texas is alleged to be responsible for the killing, as trophy hunting in the area threatens the survival of the iconic Amboseli elephant population.
The death of a rare “super tusker” elephant in Tanzania has reignited calls for a trophy hunting ban in the area to protect the remaining elephant herds.
The elephant, part of the Amboseli elephant population, was killed last month reportedly during a hunting expedition operated by Kilombero North Safaris, which is alleged to have involved a prominent American trophy hunter from Texas.
A “super tusker” is a term for male elephants who have at least one tusk that weighs 100 pounds (45kg). Estimates show that 50-100 “super tuskers” are left in Africa. Also known as “100-pounder” elephants, the animals are said to play a very important role in elephant societies, where they help produce offspring and also help manage and lead younger males.
However, trophy hunters controversially target these older males as they incorrectly see them as the most expendable.
“Hunters who claim that older males are “dead wood” are just plain ignorant of the science”, says Dr Joyce Poole, co-founder and Scientific Director of ElephantVoices.
“Fifty years of research on Amboseli’s known individuals has shown that males between 35 and 55 years of age are the primary breeders”, Dr. Pool explains. “Males who are given the chance to live to an old age produce a disproportionate number of offspring, passing their genes to the next generation. By killing large tusked males hunters are damaging elephant society, negatively impacting Amboseli’s rare gene pool for large tusks and taking a toll on its future tourism potential.”
Despite the low numbers of “super tuskers” left in the African wilds, this latest death is the third such incident within the last six months.
Two other adult 100-pounder males were shot to death by trophy hunters late last year. These deaths were particularly significant as they marked the end of a 30-year trophy hunting moratorium, which was signed back in 1995 to protect the Amboseli elephant population.
The Amboseli elephants are a cross-border population that currently consists of over 350 elephants made up of 63 families. They are the focus of the Amboseli Elephant Research Project (AERP), which has continuously tracked each individual elephant for the last 50 years and counting.
But conservationists now fear that the recent trend of trophy hunting in the area could endanger the entire population and put decades of scientific and conservation work at risk.
“It is beyond comprehension that yet another of Africa’s iconic ‘super tuskers’ has fallen victim to the relentless pursuit of trophy hunters,” said Dr Audrey Delsink, elephant behavior expert and wildlife director for Humane Society International/Africa. “The intrinsic value that these bulls bring to elephant society through their genetics, as repositories of social knowledge and as keystones of the environment, is irreplaceable. Mature bulls are crucial influencers within the population, holding significant importance for the future of younger males.”
Three prominent protection groups in the area - ElephantVoices, Big Life Foundation, and the Amboseli Trust for Elephants - have come together to call for an end to elephant trophy hunting in the Enduimet Area of Tanzania. In a joint statement, the groups have issued an appeal to the Tanzanian and Kenyan governments to work together to protect the population, recognize its immense scientific value, and ensure that these treasured elephants are not the target of trophy hunters.
The statement also points out that a further three licenses have reportedly already been granted to hunt more elephants in the area.
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