Elephants die all the time from many different causes. I just don't see how an elephant death as a result of a hunter's bullet is any different than an elephants death by any other means so far as the social structure and interaction of the herd is concerned.

I don't doubt that elephants recognize that man is a predator and properly associate man with danger and become defensive, sometimes agressivelt so, when they detect a man nearby. But man has been killing elephants for millenia, we're more effective at it now for the last 110 years since the advent of nitro powder is the only difference.

I don't believe tuskless cows are more agressive than other cows because they are hunted more. The odds that the targeted tuskless will be killed when the range has been closed is good. The herd may recognize that one of their own was killed by a man and be more agressive as a whole. But that tuskless is likely dead and I just don't believe that elephants are astute enough to realize that its the tuskless amoungst them that are being killed by hunters.

I believe that tuskless elephants are more agressive because of the handicap they are forced to overcome with regard to feeding and fighting amoungst themselves.

JPK