Tuskless is a supporting character featured in the 2000 Disney live-action film Whispers: An Elephant's Tale.
Background[]
Personality[]
True to her name, Tuskless is an 80-year old adult female African elephant that has no tusks located between her trunk. She is shown to follow Half Tusk in occasions where she and the herd are traveling across the savanna or evading hazards occurring within the elephants' surroundings. In spite of this, she is shown to have a dislike to Princess' troublesome behavior to Whispers.
Role in the film[]
Tuskless is first seen following alongside Half Tusk across the savanna. Just as Half Tusk asks her about the elephant calf hiding behind the bush, Tuskless replies that her sister Groove is present, just as Half Tusk tells her to ignore her. She later panics with the other elephants, thinking that the poachers are back, only for Half Tusk to calm the elephants down. Just as Half Tusk is trying to find her daughter Princess when Half Tusk became surprised that Whispers found her, Tuskless mistakes him for a warthog, pointing out that she found her. She then asks Half Tusk about which way would lead to the Great River so that she would follow alongside the herd, only for her to reply to Tuskless to stop the pure foolishness. Just as Half Tusk warns Groove not to leave the herd to avoid ending up like Tuskless, she replies that she went off exploring for romance and adventure and came back like a fool. Tuskless denies, saying that she went on looking for romance, love, and adventure.
Later, Tuskless and the rest of Half Tusk's herd see a wildfire from a distance while they could find no sign of Groove, which she didn't realize that Half Tusk cared about her sister. The next day, Tuskless approaches Whispers who was trying to warn her and the rest of Half Tusk's herd; Half Tusk orders Tuskless to be in charge of the herd so that they can stay. She then accepts the matriarch's order, just as she becomes upset of Princess for her behavior towards Whispers.
After Groove's death, Whispers keeps up with Half Tusk's herd on their way to the Great River; Tuskless asks Whispers of how comfortable he is adapting to the herd, only for her to reply that she's beginning to accept in being part of the herd. Half Tusk later sees a flock of flying birds in the sky to mark the presence of water within the area. Tuskless later splashes and plays in the water with the other elephants, having a happy moment, just as she happily reacts to the water with the other elephants.
Furthermore when the poachers arrive at the spot where the elephants are present, Whispers warns them about the poachers attempting to hunt them down and begins trumpeting in front of the elephants, causing Tuskless, Half Tusk, and the rest of the herd to run away in panic, noticing the poachers attempting to hunt them down. Throughout the event, the poachers were unable to hunt down the elephants, causing them to walk away in retreat and disappointment.
After the poachers leave, Tuskless and all the other elephants praise Whispers for being a hero who saved them from the poachers. Whispers, Tuskless, Half Tusk, and the rest of the herd encounter Gentle Heart, Whispers' long lost mother who is happy to see her son back, followed by Gentle Heart accepted to be part of Half Tusk's herd.
Trivia[]
- It is unknown how Tuskless lost her tusks in the first place and got her namesake.
- Tuskless states that she is 80 years old; African elephants in real life live up to 60 to 70 years, unlike Tuskless who surpassed the average lifespan of elephants.
- This character was Alice Ghostley's last voice role before her death on September 21, 2007.
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