Conservationists in Kenya are mourning the death of a beloved “super tusker” elephant, Craig, who died at age 54, according to the Kenya Wildlife Service and an Amboseli conservation group.
Craig was a bull elephant who died on Saturday and lived in Amboseli National Park, a protected area in southern Kenya, a Kenya Wildlife Service statement said. The statement described the animal as “the legendary super tusker famed for its immense, ground-sweeping tusks and calm, dignified presence,” and said Craig “passed on at the age of 54.”
The Amboseli Trust for Elephants said Craig died of natural causes. The group said it was grateful to everyone who worked to help the animal “live out his life naturally.”
Local broadcaster NTV aired a segment on Craig’s death, describing the elephant as “one of the last remaining elephants identified as super tuskers in Africa.” Conservationists said Craig had become a notable presence for both tourists and people working to protect elephants from poachers and other threats.
The term “super tusker” describes a bull elephant with tusks that weigh over 45 kilograms each, according to the Tsavo Trust, a non-profit conservation group in Kenya. The Tsavo Trust said tusks that large are so long they scrape the ground as the elephant walks, and said females with long tusks are called “iconic cows.”
Within Amboseli National Park, Craig stood out as an attraction for safari visitors and as a “notable creature” for conservationists, the Kenya Wildlife Service statement and related reporting said. The wildlife service said Craig was calm and often paused “as visitors photographed and filmed him.”
The reporting also tied Craig’s prominence to a conservation partnership. In 2021, Craig was adopted by beer maker East African Breweries through its popular Tusker brand, reflecting collaboration between conservation groups and other organizations in Kenya.
Kenya’s national parks and reserves are home to a range of wildlife species and attract millions of visitors annually. Official figures cited in the coverage said the elephant population grew from 36,280 in 2021 to 42,072 in 2025.
The coverage also pointed to ongoing management of growing elephant numbers in some protected areas. In Mwea National Reserve, east of Nairobi, the elephant population grew and “overwhelm[ed] the ecosystem,” prompting the relocation of about 100 elephants in 2024.
Craig’s death was also marked in the context of his breeding. The Kenya Wildlife Service said Craig “fathered a number of calves, ensuring that his powerful bloodline and gentle character live on across generations.”