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days intense heat. In due time the safari reached
the kraal where the elephant were said to have
caused damage and they decided to make camp
further on. An old native from the village joined
up with them and, together with Guex and Harry
set off to follow the spoor. One animal indeed
left enormous footprints as he went.
Through the rain the trackers followed the trail
of the elephants. Having hurt his leg previously,
Guex was having trouble keeping up but as they
came to very thick forest and bush the trackers
got excited, a sure sign that the trail was getting
hot. Harry climbed into a tree trying to see ahead
over the bush and long grass and was delighted to
spot the big bull and his five askaris feeding in
the long grass not more than 300 yards away.
The hunting party changed direction and
approached the elephants from down-wind.
Constantly checking the wind, Harry and
Cambadza closed in trying to see if the big bull
was endowed with big tusks but the very
denseness of the grass and undergrowth made it
difficult. But then the big bull raised its head revealing a pair of
magnificent tusks. Harry was ecstatic but he couldn’t find a clear shot
so decided to play it safe and retreat to get a better angle. They met up
with Guex and the other trackers near a small anthill.
From here on, I’ll let Harry tell the story:
“Carefully made observation and saw quarry about a 100 yards off -
took a glance through field glasses and admired huge tusker in front.
Took careful sight in poor light along barrel of my 9.3 mm rifle and
aimed for a heart shot. He staggered and then recovering from the
shock bolted with the rest. We took shortcut to where elephants were
heading and after careful stalking again saw them. The tusker was
evidently hard hit and impeded the progress of the rest of his followers.
After making another detour we again secured a favourable
position on a slight rise. I aimed two shots for the
temple at about 80 yards and was
thrilled to see the big fellow collapse.
Confusion now reigned in the
elephant ranks and one fellow looking
as big as a house and presenting a
very awe-inspiring sight came plunging
past us at a tangent about 15 yards off.
(As Guex was in need of meat we were
out to get as many of this bunch as we
could.)
We then opened fire on the rest but decided
to spare a smaller bull. I brought down two
others, or so I thought. Guex finished two
others - as he told me later. We could not
locate the one elephant that had made off, but
started shouting and waving our arms to
frighten off the animal we had decided to spare.
He would not budge but presented a threatening
aspect. Guex had only four cartridges left for his
10.75mm rifle whilst I had now run out of
ammunition for my 9.3 mm, so we decided that I
should take my .303 and proceed so as to let the
elephant get my scent and so scare him off, whilst
Guex prepared to cover me. After proceeding to
windward and getting to within 20 yards of him, he
raised his trunk aloft and spread his great ears. I
Harry Flederman just prior to his death in
the mid nineties.
shouted but he did not move. Guex then fired
from his position as he thought the animal must
have been wounded. The elephant trumpeted but
stood his ground. Then I sailed in with my .303
firing half a dozen shots at close range and down
he came with a crash.
We then carefully examined the fallen monarchs
and found that altogether five were down. After
examination we came to the conclusion that I
was responsible for three all told. Only one of the
six escaped. My feelings were curiously mixed -
triumphant and delighted at having bagged such
a rare tusker and also sad at heart at having
killed two others. Nevertheless I comforted myself
with the thought that Guex had required the meat
which would not be wasted, and furthermore,
these animals had been causing a lot of destruction
and proving themselves a menace to the natives
round about.”
I have seen and experienced the tusks of a few
hundred-pounder elephants from up close and
have seen a few living specimens with a hundred
pounds or more per tusk. Most of the tusks I’ve seen are blemished in
some way or the other. Elephants have a working tusk which frequently
is cracked, worn down or broken depending on the type of terrain they
frequent. A perfectly symmetrical pair of tusks weighing a hundred
pounds and more per tusk is a rare find and I have seen only the famous
Kruger Park bull, Mafunyane, who had the most perfectly matched
pair. Both chisel tipped tusks weigh 121 lbs and are both 8ft long.
Harry Flederman’s bull too had a pair of tusks that is as close as one
could get to a perfect pair. As a result of the “soft” swampy terrain the
elephant lived in it shows no damage or wear and appears almost
artificial. Preserved and delicately matured by nature for
over fifty years, at 122lbs 8ft 6” (18½” circumference)
and 118lbs 8ft 5” (18¼” circumference) they once ranked
125 th in the 24 th edition of Rowland Wards Records of
Big Game. To put the cherry on top, Harry’s tusks are
the third largest recorded tusks hunted in Mozambique.
Harry Manners hunted the elephant with the heaviest
recorded tusks in Mozambique. Also almost perfectly
symmetrical, they weighed 187lbs and 185lbs
respectively, and remain the fourth largest recorded
tusks in the world. However, their whereabouts
and/or existence are uncertain today which makes
Harry Flederman’s tusks even more authentic.
Hundred pounder elephants were extremely rare
in the heydays of ivory hunting and having been
sold as articles of commerce, not many tusks of
elephants hunted then exist anymore. Those
that do are considered priceless artefacts and
for exhibition only. What does all this say?
Only that the chances of one hunting such an
elephant under such classic circumstances
or alternatively possessing such a pair of
ivory sceptres is extremely rare.
The Portuguese Hunting permit.
The Flederman tusks described above
are for sale. For more information
contact the author
on e-mail: schyff@absamail.co.za
Page 46 www.african-hunter.com African Hunter Vol. 10 No. 5