Estimating exposed pulp lengths of tusks in the African elephant (Loxodonta africana africana) : article

Captive and wild African elephants frequently suffer tusk fractures. Several institutions shorten the tusks of captive elephants to reduce fractures and injury as a result of behaviour within enclosures. Fracturing or coronal amputations that expose pulp lead to pain for the elephant. Estimating coronal pulp lengths may thus help to minimise the risk of pulp exposure during amputations. We aimed to determine the length of the pulp beyond the lip margin from an external tusk characteristic. Tusks collected from elephants in Namibia and the Kruger National Park had similar morphological relationships. This statistical property allowed us to correct for missing data in our data sets. Pulp volume and pulp length correlated with tusk circumference at the lip. Even so, the circumference at the lip could not predict the length of the pulp in the crown external to the lip. Our findings suggest that tusks, irrespective of sex or age, amputated further than 300 mm from the lip should not expose pulp.

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Seroprevalence of Mycobacterium tuberculosis Complex in Free-Ranging African Elephants (Loxodonta africana) in Kruger National Park, South Africa

Journal of Wildlife Diseases ◽

10.7589/2018-12-292 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 55 (4) ◽

pp. 923 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Tanya J. Kerr ◽

Candice R. de Waal ◽

Peter E. Buss ◽

Jennifer Hofmeyr ◽

Konstantin P. Lyashchenko ◽

...

Keyword(s):

South Africa ◽

Mycobacterium Tuberculosis ◽

National Park ◽

Mycobacterium Tuberculosis Complex ◽

Loxodonta Africana ◽

Kruger National Park ◽

African Elephants ◽

Tuberculosis Complex ◽

Free Ranging

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A note on the presence of the Elephant Louse Haematomyzus elephantis piaget (Mallophaga: Rhynchophthirina) in the Kruger National Park

Koedoe ◽

10.4102/koedoe.v27i1.557 ◽

1984 ◽

Vol 27 (1) ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

L.E.O Braack

Keyword(s):

National Park ◽

Loxodonta Africana ◽

African Elephant ◽

Kruger National Park ◽

Sub Saharan Africa ◽

Elephas Maximus ◽

Sub Saharan ◽

Ethiopian Region ◽

Indian Elephant

First described in 1869, this rather unusual insect has been found to be a common ectoparasite on the Indian elephant (Elephas maximus), and has been collected in low numbers from the African elephant (Loxodonta africana) in nearly all of sub-saharan Africa (Ledger 1979, The arthropod parasites of vertebrates in Africa south of the Sahara (Ethiopian Region) Vol. IV.

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Allozyme variation in African elephant ( Loxodonta africana) from the Kruger National Park, South Africa

South African Journal of Animal Science ◽

10.4314/sajas.v29i3.44196 ◽

2009 ◽

Vol 29 (3) ◽

Author(s):

EM Coetzee ◽

FH Van der Bank ◽

M Greyling

Keyword(s):

South Africa ◽

National Park ◽

Loxodonta Africana ◽

Allozyme Variation ◽

African Elephant ◽

Kruger National Park

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Distribution and status of the African elephant Loxodonta africana in South Africa, 1652-1992

Koedoe ◽

10.4102/koedoe.v35i1.390 ◽

1992 ◽

Vol 35 (1) ◽

Cited By ~ 15

Author(s):

A.J. Hall-Martin

Keyword(s):

South Africa ◽

National Park ◽

Population Control ◽

Loxodonta Africana ◽

Kruger National Park ◽

African Elephants ◽

Population Growth Rates ◽

Elephant Population ◽

The Impact ◽

Consequent Increase

The historical decline of African elephants to a low of 120 animals in 1920, and their subsequent recovery to over 10 000 is described for the major populations of South Africa. Population growth rates of 6,8 and 6,7 per annum are derived from census and estimates for the Kruger National Park and the Addo Elephant National Park respectively. The reasons for elephant population control in the Kruger National Park, and the impact of elephants on both the Kruger and Addo environments, are discussed. The translocation of young elephants to found new populations is mentioned. The consequent increase of elephant range and numbers in the next decade to a possible maximum of 31 000 km2 and 13 000 animals, is envisaged.

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Chromosome analysis in the Kruger National Park: Mitotic and meiotic studies in the African elephant loxodonta africana

Koedoe ◽

10.4102/koedoe.v21i1.975 ◽

1978 ◽

Vol 21 (1) ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

C. Wallace

Keyword(s):

National Park ◽

Present Report ◽

Chromosome Analysis ◽

Loxodonta Africana ◽

African Elephant ◽

Kruger National Park ◽

Mitotic Chromosomes ◽

Meiotic Chromosomes

The present report is published because of the paucity of publication on the mitotic chromosomes of the African elephant Loxodonta africana, and because it is the fisrt study in which the meiotic chromosomes of the species are described.

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Transferrin and Haemoglobin types in the African Elephant (Loxodonta Africana)

Koedoe ◽

10.4102/koedoe.v15i1.669 ◽

1972 ◽

Vol 15 (1) ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

D. R Osterhoff ◽

E Young ◽

I. S Ward-Cox

Keyword(s):

Random Sample ◽

National Park ◽

Loxodonta Africana ◽

African Elephant ◽

Kruger National Park ◽

Biochemical Polymorphism ◽

Blood Samples

In a random sample of 84 elephants from the Kruger National Park and five elephants from the Addo Elephant National Park, biochemical polymorphism in the serum transferrins could be established. It seems that elephants in the Kruger and Addo Parks are genetically similar but further studies are indicated to confirm these preliminary findings. For the haemo- globin investigations 109 blood samples were available, all originating from the Kruger National Park and all revealing only one type of haemoglobin.

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Development of the tush and tusk and tusklessness in African elephant (Loxodonta africana)

Koedoe ◽

10.4102/koedoe.v43i2.199 ◽

2000 ◽

Vol 43 (2) ◽

Cited By ~ 9

Author(s):

E.J. Raubenheimer

Keyword(s):

Southern Africa ◽

National Park ◽

Population Control ◽

Tooth Germ ◽

Loxodonta Africana ◽

Permanent Tooth ◽

Control Programme ◽

African Elephant ◽

Kruger National Park ◽

Embryologic Development

The embryologic development of the tush and tusk of the African elephant was studied by means of serial histologic sections prepared from elephant embryos with masses varying between Ig and 240 g. Statistics on tusklessness obtained during a four year population control programme in the Kruger National Park were analysed and compared with those reported in other elephant reserves in Southern Africa. Maxillae of eight elephant embryos, the maternal histories of which were available in six cases, were radiographed, dissected and examined microscopically. This study has shown that the tush and tusk develop from one tooth germ in a deciduous to permanent tooth relationship. Tusklessness was found to be unilateral or bilateral and associated with either the absence or presence of a tush. The possible causes of the differences in the frequency of bilateral tusklessness in different elephant populations are discussed.

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