THE SUPER TUSKERS

On the trail of a spectacular species of elephants in Kenya. BY MARTHA McGUINNESS

I had the privilege of accompanying renowned conservationist James Robertson, whose invitation to see Lugard, the elephant with the heaviest tusks in Africa, came with instructions: Follow behind, and don’t speak unless it is urgent. James told me that if anything happens, he would step between the elephant and me. We’d silently woven through the thorny brush of Tsavo National Park until we found Lugard, watching in awe as colossal tusks upended trees and bushes like weeds. Suddenly, I’m not sure if a twig snapped or the wind changed; Lugard lifted his head, stopped eating and stared at us. He ared his enormous ears, a signal that he was no longer comfortable, and took a step forward. James moved toward Lugard and began communicating in the most incredible elephant language, making low, guttural, rumbling sounds. At the same time, he gently spoke to Lugard: “Easy boy.” “It’s OK.” After a tense ve minutes, Lugard put his head down and resumed grazing.

I was in Kenya shooting Emergence, a documentary on the super tuskers of Tsavo. Super tuskers are male bull elephants whose tusks are so large they touch the ground; each appendage weighs well over 100 pounds. An estimated 21 super tuskers exist on the planet, nine of them in Tsavo, many of them reaching the end of their life span of approximately 55 years. Fortunately, 32 male bull elephants possessing the tusker gene and four female tuskers, known as “iconic cows,” have been identi ed in Tsavo. With protection, there is an opportunity for these elephants to breed. The documentary sheds light on these rare elephants, the challenges they face, and the work dedicated humans are doing to protect them. Empowers Africa, where I am a trustee, executive-produced the documentary. It will be shown at the World Elephant and World Lion Day Film Festival on August 14 at the Southampton Arts Center. Lugard is considered a Kenyan national treasure. As large as he is, Lugard is not easy to nd. Like most bull elephants, he is solitary. He does not feel comfortable around humans. At 50 years old, Lugard has witnessed a multitude of atrocities, including a massive poaching crisis in the ’70s and ’80s, when the elephant population in the park was decimated. He continues to navigate the effects of climate change, currently living through the worst drought the eastern Horn of Africa has seen in four decades.

We were fortunate to have Nicholas Haller spend eight days with our crew. Nicholas is chief operations of cer and chief pilot of Tsavo Trust, a eld-based organization created to protect and ensure the propagation of the super tuskers. Founded in 2013, Tsavo Trust employs 36 rangers who patrol the park daily, removing snares and traps, arresting poachers and maintaining the park’s ecosystem and infrastructure. The organization works in conjunction with Kenya Wildlife Service, but if it weren’t for Tsavo Trust, the big tuskers in the park would not exist today.

As the shoot came to an end, I felt melancholy about saying goodbye. A bond had developed in our shared experience and commitment to this project. I was inspired by our talented crew, and by the work of Tsavo Trust. But most of all, I was inspired by Lugard. His strength and will to survive is evidence of the opportunity we have to protect super tuskers, and all elephants. empowersafrica.org

An estimated 21 super tuskers exist on the planet, nine of them in Tsavo, Kenya.