An Ellie with no name
The last wild Knysna female elephant does not have an official name.
When Knysna-Plett Herald asked SA National Parks (Sanparks) scientist Lizette Moolman about it, she apologised for her long answer to a simple question: “Some people call her Oupoot. This is not really a fitting name in my opinion as this is more a bull’s name. Then some people call her The Matriarch which is also not fitting once again, in my opinion, because sadly she has no herd and a matriarch refers to a female leader of a herd,” Moolman said.
Some refer to her as Strangefoot due to the so-called unique pattern made by her foot (when one rarely sees a good track).
“But this is also not a good name in my opinion because all elephants have unique foot patterns like our fingerprints. A name is so personal that for some people a certain name is perfect whereas for others it will have a negative connotation.
“I also feel that she is her own elephant, and who am I to give her a name. A colleague in Addo and I sometimes refer to her as The Old Lady but then, the other day I thought, well, she is as old as I am and if someone referred to me as an old lady, hmmm, I don’t know… The question is, should we give her a name? She is nobody’s elephant, but everyone’s elephant.”
Don’t forget Lament for the last Knysna Elephant, an exhibition by Guy Thesen at Knysna Fine Art Gallery on show untill 9 November.
A Sanparks camera-trap photo taken of the what is said to be the last Knysna elephant.
‘We bring you the latest Knysna | Garden Route News’
Source: Knysna Plett Herald News