The Walaskema tusker of Yala Block II was the first of Yala’s famous cross-tuskers, named after the Walaskema water-hole he visited regularly. In the 1950s naturalist Dr H. I. E. Katugaha’s party waited at Walaskema to see him. He was photographed by Max Hemple, and the pictures appeared in early issues of the journal Loris. Katugaha writes that his habit of visiting the same water-hole led to his death.