Xilowa (Shilowa)

shilowa sm

Photo by Keith Begg

Origin of Name: Pronounced and commonly spelt Shilowa this bull was named by Dr Ian Whyte after the Shilowa koppie situated near the Mozambique boarder, where it was known that a strange man used to live. (Shilowa is the Tsonga word for “the bewitched one”)
Range: Mooiplaas and southwards towards the Letaba Restcamp
Special Features: Shilowa had a straight long right tusk and a much sorter left master tusk.
General: Shilowa was regularly seen between 1992 and 1998. His carcass was found by game guards near the Nshawu No. 1 windmill east of Mopani on the 14 April 1998. Johann Oelofse Ranger at Mooiplaas Section at the time did the investigation and estimated that Shilowa had been dead for approximately 5 days and it appeared that he died from natural causes. According to Johann his feet had healed well from the ‘sole problems’ that had plagued him over the 2 years before his death with scars only being visible on one hind foot.

Shilowa’s right tusk had a crack up the length, while the underside had deep reservoir scars unique to Kruger Elephants.

Tusk Data

Left

Right

Length (cm)

215cm

237cm

Mass (kg)

38.75kg

47.3kg

Circumference at Lip (cm)

46cm

47cm