AMBOSELI, Kenya — Kenya and the global conservation community are mourning the death of Craig, one of Africa’s last remaining super tusker elephants, who died early Saturday morning at Amboseli National Park at the age of 54, the Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) has announced.
Craig, famed worldwide for his massive, ground-sweeping tusks and calm demeanour, was considered a living symbol of Africa’s endangered elephant heritage.
Super tuskers are an exceptionally rare class of elephants whose tusks each weigh more than 45 kilograms (100 pounds).
Fewer than a handful are believed to remain across the continent.
Born in January 1972 to the matriarch Cassandra of the CB family, Craig lived an unusually long life for a wild elephant, a feat conservationists attribute to sustained protection efforts in and around Amboseli.
Over the decades, he became one of the park’s most recognisable residents, often photographed standing majestically against the backdrop of Mount Kilimanjaro.
KWS said Craig was not only remarkable for his tusks but also for his gentle and composed nature, which made him a favourite among visitors, researchers, and wildlife filmmakers.
His calm presence and tolerance of humans turned him into an informal ambassador for elephant conservation, helping to draw global attention to the plight of Africa’s elephants amid poaching and habitat loss.
“Craig appeared to understand his place in the world,” KWS said in a statement, noting that he would often pause patiently as tourists documented him.
“He became a symbol of what successful conservation looks like.”
Craig also played a vital ecological and genetic role.
He sired several calves, ensuring the continuation of a rare genetic line associated with large tusks—traits that have become increasingly scarce due to decades of selective poaching targeting big-tusked elephants.
In 2021, Craig’s global stature was underscored when he was adopted by East African Breweries Limited (EABL) through its Tusker brand, a partnership that highlighted the link between conservation, corporate support, and community engagement.
KWS credited Craig’s long survival to continuous monitoring, anti-poaching patrols, habitat protection, and cooperation with local communities around Amboseli.
These measures, authorities say, allowed him to roam freely and safely in a landscape increasingly under pressure from climate change, human-wildlife conflict, and land fragmentation.
Conservationists warn that Craig’s death further reduces the already tiny population of super tuskers and underscores the urgency of protecting remaining elephants with large tusks, which remain prime targets for illegal ivory trade.
As tributes pour in from across Kenya and beyond, Craig is being remembered not just as a giant of Amboseli but as a powerful reminder of what determined conservation can achieve and what could be lost without it.
KWS said Craig’s legacy will live on through his offspring and through renewed calls to safeguard Africa’s elephants for future generations.
