Majestic tuskers are a rare sight to behold in the wild. Among the estimated 7,500 Sri Lankan elephants, only 7% of male elephants bear tusks. These big males known as tuskers are the kings of the Sri Lankan wilderness. When a tusker steps out of the forest canopy, he strides along the plains exuding absolute confidence and dominance over everything before him. With their majestic appearance and unique behavior, witnessing them in the wild is a wonderful experience you can get in Sri Lanka.
However, it isn’t easy to observe a tusker in the wilderness of Sri Lanka. Although there are herds of elephants living in several National Parks, the number of tuskers is too low. If you like to see these magnificent tuskers, the best place to go is Kalawewa Sanctuary. The specialty of the Kalawewa elephant herd is the high number of tuskers. Many photographers have been able to capture the tuskers in the Kalawewa area regularly. Moreover, Yala National Park has recorded many iconic tuskers over the years.
In this post, we will bring you the details about the most notable, iconic wild tuskers in Sri Lanka. Each of these majestic tuskers has a unique personality and their own graceful behaviors. We hope they’ll have a long life and be safe forever in the wilderness of Sri Lankan jungles.
1. Tusker Kawantissa
Kawantissa aka Gajaba is the largest wild tusker in Sri Lanka. He has been named after the great King Dutugemunu’s father, King Kawantissa. He towers above all other elephants and stands an estimated 3.1 meters (10 feet) at the shoulder. Affectionately called as Maha Atha or Big Tusker by locals, he is the beloved iconic tusker elephant of Sri Lanka.
Magnificent Kawantissa is the most revered tusker who graced the lush jungles in Galgamuwa with his regal appearance. But it isn’t easy to observe him in the wild. He rarely comes out of the thick jungle to face the humans. On the other hand, it is a blessing for him to stay out of the sight of as much as possible.
This majestic tusker was observed in 2023 bathing in Siyabalangamuwa Lake with his graceful presence. With awe-inspiring long tusks and a gentle demeanor, Kawantissa captured the hearts of all who encountered him. His majestic figure symbolizes the rich biodiversity of our beautiful island and the delicate balance between wildlife and nature.
2. Tusker Walagamba
The mighty tusker Walagamba is named after the great King Walagamba. He is the largest tusker ever to roam in the Kala Wewa area. It is truly visible how immense is this tusker when he stands next to another of its own kind. Around 10-11 feet at the shoulder, he towers above all the elephants like a colossus.
Walagamba knows he is big and dominant and he strides on the herd with the swagger and confidence. He is not overly aggressive or energetic but rather shows calm restraint. The herd knows and understands his awesome power and it is clear in their behavior.
It isn’t easy to witness Walagamba in the wild. Only a few photographers could catch a glimpse of this largest tusker. Currently, his whereabouts are unknown, but we hope he is safe in the lush jungles in the Kala Wewa area.
3. Tusker Sumedha
Sumedha aka Mahasen is a beautiful tusker who lives in Minneriya National Park. Growing up into a handsome adult, he is an icon of wild tuskers in Sri Lanka. Sumedha has a large pair of tusks of any known wild tusker in Minneriya. This great tusker is somewhat of an enigma that possesses an almost mythical status.
Despite his imposing figure, he is timid and elusive. He disappears for long periods to unknown parts of the island and only appears during the dry months. Sumedha comes out in search of potential mates during the height of his period of musth. If you are going on a safari trip to visit the great elephant gathering in Minneriya National Park, you may get the opportunity to witness the majestic tusker Sumedha among the elephant herds.
The proud appearance of Sumedha in Minneriya made the female elephants trumpet in excitement. He can be seen with the elephant herd playing with water in the Minneriya tank. This majestic young tusker shows the ultimate beauty and grace of Sri Lankan wild tuskers.
4. Tusker Neela
Kala Wewa boasts a high concentration of tuskers in Sri Lanka. Among the tuskers in Kala Wewa, Neela is a tall and dark boy who brings all the girls in the park around him. Most probably, he is the top handsome tusker in Kalawewa National Park. This young and playful tusker is in his prime, scaring off other rival males. He visits Kala Wewa only during his musth period.
Neela’s home is the thick jungle in the Ritigala Strict Nature Reserve. He stays there throughout the year and roams away from home to Kalawewa National Park from August to October every year. At that time, he is living his best life and enjoys with female elephants who are eager to become his groupies. Neela has been recorded traveling throughout Kalawewa since the year 2000.
5. Tusker Agbo
Agbo is one of the most beautiful tuskers in Sri Lanka, who lives in the North Central province, especially in the Anuradhapura area. Usually, he is an aggressive tusker who doesn’t hesitate to charge anybody disturbing him.
Unfortunately, Tusker Agbo was found injured in July 2023. His front left leg was damaged by a gunshot and there was an infection on the wound. Sri Lankan wildlife authorities immediately started to treat Agbo and it seems he is on the way to recovery.
Agbo has become one of the most popular tuskers and everybody wishes him a speedy recovery. Although he had aggressive behaviors in the past, now he has a lot more patience and allows humans to come closer and treat him. Get well soon Agbo, you are a treasure of Sri Lanka!
6. Tusker Deega Danthu
Deega Danthu has the longest tusks among the tuskers living around the Kala Wewa and its surrounding forest reservations. The literal meaning of Deega Danthu is long tusks. It is an enigmatic tusker not easy to find in the wild. Sometimes, he disappears for years and then again reappears.
He went missing in 2019 and stayed out of sight for a long time. Everybody feared the worst as he was used to visit the lake every year. Suddenly, Deega Danthu reemerged in August 2023, after hiding for 4 long years making wildlife lovers happy and relieved.
Many visitors made their way to Kala Wewa to witness this majestic tusker following his re-emergence. Certainly, he gives an epic sighting among the herd of over 200 wild elephants in Kala Wewa during the dry season.
7. Tusker Gemunu
Without a doubt, the mighty Gemunu in Yala National Park is one of the most famous tuskers in Sri Lanka. He is Yala’s most renowned tusker born in 1991 and named after the great King Dutugemunu. Currently, he is crowned as the King of notorious tuskers in Yala who are always looking for trouble.
In February 2018, Gemunu had a big clash with Sando, another notorious tusker in Yala that led to the loss of his one tusk. After some years of living with only one tusk, he got into another heavy fight with tusker Nandimithra in 2020. During this battle, he lost the other tusk making him an elephant without tusks. Currently, his tusks are slowly growing and he will become a majestic tusker again someday.
Gemunu is mostly seen at Sithulpawwa Road and he regularly visits Sithulpawwa temple where pilgrims give him fruits. As a result, he used to demand food from visitors by blocking the safari jeep. One interesting story of Gemunu is once he grabbed a bag from a tourist with food items, camera equipment, and dollars, all ended up as his food.
8. Tusker Nandimithra
Nandimithra is one of the resident tuskers in Yala who was named after the chief of the ten giant warriors of the great king Dutugemunu. He is a beautiful tusker famed for his huge tusks. He hails from the forests of the Sithulpawwa region and habituates in the vicinity of the Sithulpawwa Temple.
Although feeding wild elephants is something you should avoid in Sri Lanka, Nandimithra was fed by visitors despite the caution. As well, pilgrims who visit the Sithulpawwa temple have been feeding him fruits and any other elephants that come near. As a result, Nandimithra now demands it of them and started harassing pilgrims and damaging their vehicles in search of easy food for him.
Nandimithra is famous as the rock-climbing tusker in Yala. He has special skills to climb on steep banks of huge rock boulders and he isn’t afraid of heights at all. This is one of the unique behaviors of heroic tusker Nandimithra.
9. Tusker Sando
Tusker Sando is an impressive tusker who lives in Yala National Park famous for his remarkable, larger-than-life stature. With his awe-inspiring legacy and commanding presence, he is truly the king in the jungle. Sando is a migrant tusker who holds reigns in block II and migrates to block I during the musth period.
Sando lives in the thick jungle in block II without getting disturbed by visitors. But he follows the elephant herds to block 1 in pursuit of a compatible mate. Block I is full of visitors and unfortunately his personal space gets invaded by them. Thus, he gets pretty aggressive during this period and tries to attack jeeps or anything that he may come across in his pathway.
However, Sando is a magnificent tusker with an awe-inspiring personality. He reminds our responsibility to safeguard and cherish these precious wonders of Yala. It is upon us to honor Sando’s name by promoting awareness and respecting boundaries to protect him in human presence.
10. Tusker Bullet
Bullet was just three or four months old when he was found with a critical bullet wound on his right leg. This wound suggested his name as Bullet. It was a gunshot wound where the bullet had entered from behind and exited through the front of the upper part of the leg. Fortunately, the bullet had missed the baby calf’s femur. He was carefully treated and brought back to the health in Udawalawe Elephant Care Center.
By the time of 2003, Bullet became a majestic juvenile tusker and he was released back into the wilderness of Udawalawe National Park. Certainly, Bullet is an absolute treasure in Udawalawe with his large pair of tusks. His genetics enable him to have long sweeping tusks when he is around 20 years of age.
Future of Tuskers
Sadly, the future of tuskers remains bleak and uncertain. Their habitats are getting smaller and they move from forest to forest in search of food. Meanwhile, they are constantly chased and harassed by angry farmers. In particular, tuskers have a greater risk to their life, because these robust males often fall victim to the cruel hands of poaching. Several magnificent tuskers have met an untimely death in the past.
But we have little hope that the tusker population in the wild will grow and become stable in Sri Lanka. For example, Kala Wewa is home to a great concentration of tuskers. This huge park spreads over 6,000 hectares and Kala Wewa holds water all year around, attracting herds of elephants. It needs extreme conservation efforts in this area to protect the remaining tuskers. If we carefully manage and protect them, perhaps we can sustain our tusker population in the future.
To sum up, with their regal appearance, majestic tuskers are a great treasure to Sri Lanka. But these voiceless creatures have faced a quite sad situation that makes the hearts of wildlife enthusiasts cry for them. Definitely, there is an urgent need for conservation efforts to protect the majestic tuskers for generations to come. Let’s cherish the presence of these gentle giants in the wilderness of Sri Lanka!
Text by Magnificent Sri Lanka. Image credits are shown below each picture. All the copyrights are reserved by the original authors.
