Duke, one of the Kruger National Park's most beloved tusker elephants, died on 1 October 2011. The reconstruction of Duke's skeleton with both full tusks created a conservation legacy. His story reflects both the threats elephants face and the Park's successful conservation efforts.
The Decline and Rise of Big Tuskers
In the 1970s, a mass die-off of elephants in Africa due to poaching for ivory sparked global concern.
The Kruger National Park (KNP), however, emerged as a success story. By the 1980s, ‘Big Tuskers’ with impressive tusks, like the ‘Magnificent Seven’, were a source of national pride. Sadly, most died by 1985.
The legendary elephant bull, Duke, known
