Meet Isilo..... Isilo is the largest tusker in South Africa, and scientists agree that he may be the largest in the world.

The definition of a "tusker" is an elephant whose tusks exceed 45.5kg/100lbs.

Isilo, (which means King in Zulu), is a huge bull elephant with tusks estimated to be 2.6 m/8.53 ft in length, and weighing about 60 kg/132 lbs. His other statistics include a tusk circumference of 50cm, his height is 3.2m, and his weight is 6500-7000kg.

So if elephants really do never forget, then Isilo at approximately 50 years of age, will certainly have a medley of memories, both good and bad.

Isilo leads a migratory herd that has always migrated between Maputaland and Mozambique, and over his lifetime he will have experienced many changes to his territory.

Civil war in the area would have found him caught up in the fighting, and possibly hiding for survival as many elephants were shot and slaughtered to feed the fighting men - and so he may have been amongst those in the herds that fled south for safety.

They found refuge in Tembe, with it's unique sand forest and grassland ecosystem. Tembe was established as a protected reserve in 1983, in the hope of protecting both the sand forest aswell as these magnificent huge animals.

Roaming here are over 220 of the largest elephant and tuskers in Africa, and the last remaining indigenous herd in KwaZulu-Natal. It's certainly both a thrill and a little scary at times to go around a bend in the track and find yourself face to face with one, if not several, of the giants.... I have posted some photos, although they don't do justice to the size and power of these amazing animals