Update

KNYSNA NEWS - Following the story of two Knysna men who stumbled upon the amazing find of bones possibly belonging to a legendary elephant bull called Aftand (Afrikaans for "missing or broken tooth", some residents have come forward with their own interesting tales of the giant.

In the Knysna-Plett Herald of 3 May, it was reported that Nicolaas Phillips and his friend Lee Olivier recently came across the bones which Phillips found almost two decades ago while exploring a section of yellowwood forest just outside Knysna, on the way to Plettenberg Bay.

Neither Phillips nor Olivier knew how the bones got there or whether they belonged to Aftand, but they believe that the sparsely vegetated 10sq m clearing where they found the scattered bones was possibly an old elephant trap.

Aftand, also known as Adam, was a bull elephant with a broken left tusk and, seen as a problem elephant, he was shot and killed in secret by employees of the forestry department on 4 April 1971. (Read more online.)

'Bones belong to Aftand'
Enter Dave Reynell, who wrote to Knysna-Plett Herald shortly after the article appeared, and is convinced the remains belong to the old bull.

“As someone who, as a young man, spent several years trying to capture photographs of the elusive Knysna elephants … I am quite sure that the bones found … are those of this old elephant bull,” says Reynell.

"I can assure you that there was no 'elephant trap'. After the shooting of Aftand, trees were felled to cover the carcass. Several weeks later the residents of the area smelt the rotting flesh and discovered the body. By then the tusks had been removed and were eventually found at Saasveld."

Reynell says he has several memories of close encounters with the “old fellow”.

This photograph of Aftand, in his favourite patch of forest according to Dave Reynell, was taken one morning in May 1969. Photo: Dave Reynell 

'Exciting moments back then'
“I know where his bones lie and visited the site several decades ago – I was a forestry professional in the indigenous forest planning section. From January 1969 until February 1970 the WildLife Protection and Conservation Society of South Africa sponsored an in-depth survey of the Knysna elephant group. Nick Carter, a professional game warden… was hired for the year and worked very hard to determine how many elephants there were… and to propose a strategy for their conservation. I got to know Carter well and assisted in a very minor way. We did have a few exciting moments,” writes Reynell.

According to Reynell, the report by www.sahistory.org.za on Aftand is mostly accurate, but he was not “chucked out of the herd”. Reynell adds that there was no herd, saying, “These elephants tended to roam about in groups of two, sometimes three. The older bulls were loners, as was Aftand,” he says.

'I grew up with Aftand'
Another resident, Valerie Bouwer, tells of how she knew of Aftand as a young girl growing up in the area outside Knysna.

“My father worked in the forestry industry and we used to stay in the area where Aftand roamed. He would walk along the dirt road that led to our house on a regular basis and munch some of our veggies, but we never minded. It was such a privilege having him there. The whole community thought so,” says Bouwer. Her mother apparently planted extra vegetables just for that reason.

She adds that everyone loved the fact that Aftand and other elephants roamed the area. “It was such an amazing experience growing up with these animals, we used to play in the same areas they walked,” she says.

'It was such a terrible day'
Bouwer says she remembers the day Aftand was shot. “He was in our garden that same day. Much later, after he left, we heard a gunshot but thought nothing of it. Much later we began smelling something terrible but didn’t know what it was.

“My brother eventually went to report it to Hans Nienaber, a forestry official, who in turn told my brother and another man to go investigate themselves. They came across Aftand’s decomposing corpse. It was such a terrible day,” Bouwer recalls.

Nicolaas Phillips (left) and Lee Olivier with more huge bones possibly those of an elephant. They have left the bones in the same position they found them. Photo: Stefan Goosen

There is still no certainty that these bones do belong to Aftand. Once Knysna-Plett Herald is able to unearth some more facts or stories, residents will be the first to know.

* In the 3 May article additional information regarding Aftand was sourced from www.sahistory.org.za, written by Ryno Joubert.

Read a previous article: Could this be Aftand's remains?

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