In Memory of Craig

Word is circling the globe today as news comes of the death of one of the last great tusker elephants, an iconic bull known as Craig.

When I first met Craig in 2022, Amboseli National Park in Kenya was deep in the clutches of a devastating drought.  Driving through the park in our Toyota Land Cruisers with knowledgeable guides at the wheel, we saw carcass after carcass of animals that perished for lack of feed.

There was water, to be sure, but no rain to drench the arid savannah and bring forth the life-sustaining plants and trees that so many herbivores depended on.

We had hopes of seeing Craig, a bull elephant renowned for his long tusks.   He was then in his 50s and in poor condition because of the drought.  Not only was feed scarce, but Craig was nearing the end of his natural life span because he was running out of teeth.

Elephants have 26 teeth:   the ivory tusks (modified incisors)  are the most prominent.   Then, 12 premolars and 12 molars.

Unlike humans, elephants continually grow molars, six sets of them.   They start with four.   As they are worn down from grinding food, the next molar in line moves forward, and another molar erupts, and so on, until the aged elephant has gone through six sets.

That is the stage where Craig was when I saw him.   It pained me to see him grinding dead limbs, searching endlessly for the fibrous nutrition that would sustain him.

Craig undoubtedly died because his last set of molars was worn down.

It is a blessing to know he died a natural death, rather than to have been killed for his immense tusks.   Each one was estimated to weigh 100 lbs.   Craig was one of the few remaining tuskers on earth.  He was protected 24 hours a day from poachers by the Kenya Wildlife Service, the Big Life Foundation, the Amboseli Trust for Elephants, and Maasai community rangers.

I shot this video of Craig and not until I was able to review it,  did I realize what a treasure I had.  Craig passed  my vehicle and was so close I could have reached out and touched him.

Up ahead, my friend Marg Wood was on the ground, pointing her camera up to get the great shots of Craig.   As the elephant neared her, it paused for a long time as Marg continued to shoot, as if knowing-- or perhaps remembering--the human he'd met a few months before.

Then, raising its trunk as if in salute, it moved into a nearby bush to continue browsing.   

That interaction between the two grabbed my heart.  I think it is indicative of the recognition each felt for the other--recognition, kindness, and respect.

A short time later, we moved away, and our breakfast was set out of the hoods of the Land Cruisers.   Craig joined us at a distance, and his company was appreciated. 

Below are two links to more photos and info about Craig from my stories in 2022.

https://gullible-gulliblestravels.blogspot.com/2025/08/world-elephant-day.html#comment-form

 

https://gullible-gulliblestravels.blogspot.com/search/label/Craig

World Elephant Day

 Today is World Elephant Day.

In honor of that,  I bring you a story about Craig, a magnificent super tusker that lives in and around Amboseli National Park in southern Kenya.  This is from 2022.

It's nearing sundown as we drive along the dirt road that leads to the park exit.   Our safari through the park has been sad as the carcasses of animals that died in this severe drought are scattered all over.  The hyenas and vultures are having a feast, though.

Suddenly, way off in the distant brush and trees, a solitary elephant appears.   

Its rump is all we can see, and occasionally a bit of tusk that hints of the elephant we are hoping to find.

At long last, it turns sideways, and we are sure.   It's Craig, one of the last of the super tuskers.   We need every bit of our long lenses to photograph him, and even then, he appears small, so cropping will become a big factor when we edit our photos from RAW format to JPEGs.

The light is turning golden as the sun sinks lower.  Hundreds of photos later, Craig ambles off into the sunset.

From out of the golden sunlight comes a small herd of elephants, kicking up dust from the sere land.

The next morning, word comes that Craig has wandered out of the park, and we rush to the sighting.   There, with his 24-hour guard that keeps him safe from poaching, is the iconic super tusker.

There are a number of safari vehicles, their passengers, and guides here to see this famous elephant.  I, myself, am in utter awe of this magnificent creature.

We get as low to the ground as possible, the preferred perspective in which to photograph him.   He is in his 50s, very old age for an elephant.

Craig doesn't seem to care a bit about his fan club.  The drivers and guides make sure we mind our "elephant manners."  They tell us where we can stand, make sure we don't cross in front of him.   We can photograph him face-on from a distance only, but we are careful not to impede his movements in any way.

Craig is in survival mode in this drought-stricken land.  I watch with an aching heart as he selects dry sticks to put in his mouth and chews carefully.

At length, we move off and the guides set out our breakfast on the hoods of the Toyotas.  As we tuck in, Craig moves into our sight and we have breakfast with Craig!

Craig is in the line of vegetation to the right of the vehicle.

After breakfast, we once again join Craig as he ables through the area.   We are still out of the park and are not restricted to the roads.   We can follow Craig.

I can get low to photograph Craig, but I need help getting back up.

The guides intuit the direction Craig will head next and move us into position.

My friends Marg and Shelly, with their driver/guide, photograph the approaching elephant.

I am back in the vehicle as the elephant approaches so closely I could reach out and touch him!

After he passes, I lean out with my little Cool Pix camera and film my favorite video:

https://youtu.be/W-qupxMVO08

For a light-hearted look at Craig, follow this link:

https://gullible-gulliblestravels.blogspot.com/2022/12/the-2022-africa-journals-chapter-7-part.html

The following is from Google about Craig:

AI Overview

 

 

Craig is a famous, large male African elephant, known as a "super tusker," residing in Amboseli National Park in Kenya. He is one of the last elephants with exceptionally long tusks, which can weigh over 100 pounds each. Craig plays a vital role in the elephant ecosystem, guiding younger males and maintaining social order within his bachelor herd. 

 

Here's more about Craig:

•   Age and Appearance: 
Craig is estimated to be over 50 years old and is one of the largest and oldest elephants in Amboseli. His age is evident in the wear and tear on his teeth and sunken temples. 






•   Super Tusker Status: 
Craig is a "super tusker," a term used for elephants with tusks that reach impressive lengths and weights. These elephants are rare and highly sought after by poachers. 






•   Importance to the Ecosystem: 
Craig is a crucial part of the Amboseli elephant population. He plays a role in breeding and genetic diversity. He also helps maintain social structure within his bachelor herd, keeping younger elephants in check. 






•   Conservation Efforts: 
Organizations like Big Life Foundation and International Fund for Animal Welfare | IFAW work to protect Craig and other elephants by securing their habitats and corridors, particularly the Kitenden Corridorwhere Craig roams. 






•   Threats: 
Poaching, human-wildlife conflict, and habitat loss pose significant threats to Craig and other elephants in Amboseli. 






•   Iconic Status: 
Craig is an iconic figure in Amboseli, often pictured with Mount Kilimanjaro in the background. 






•   Recent Sightings: 
In May 2025, Craig was seen in musth, indicating he is still an active and important breeding male. 






•   Photographic Opportunities: 
Craig's presence attracts wildlife photographers who seek to capture images of this magnificent animal, often with the iconic Mount Kilimanjaro as a backdrop. 






The 2022 African Journals, Chapter 9: Craig!

 Chapter 9:

Craig!

This is Amboseli: the land of elephants.

~bee-elle.com

 

 

As usual, it is dark when we move from our tents to   the main lodge, where tea, coffee, and fruit are laid out for us.  We are escorted by security guards with flashlights.

 

By 6 o’clock, we are driving through the Tawi Conservancy on our way to the entrance of Amboseli National Park.   But James surprises me and turns off on a dirt road that parallels the boundary of the park.

 

We bounce along for what seems like endless hours (on the return trip, I realize it’s actually not far at all.)  There are villagers and school kids along this route, adults heading somewhere, as well as entrances to private lodges.

 

We spotted Craig last evening near this boundary road and this morning he was located again by Maasai who let our guides know his location.  At the Maasai’s signal, James turns off the road (thank goodness) onto the smooth sand of the adjacent bush veld.

 

And shortly, there he is.   Much closer than last night    Much, much closer.  Because we are not on park land, we can drive off-road and get nearer to the elephant. 

 

 

Make no mistake.   This is not irresponsible behavior.   Our guides and several others make sure Craig is not molested or bothered in any way.   They also watch out for us, reminding us to mind our  elephant manners, which is hard to do when we are gobsmacked!  But, one does not one’s expensive camera gear trampled even though Craig might trample us in the process.   (Yes, I say that in jest.)

Twice Craig approached so close that I could have touched him.   When he is this close, the drivers no not move the vehicles.   They let Craig go wherever he wants and sometimes, it seems, Craig is being a little naughty and teasing us.

Full frontal, ears spread!

Watch this short video.

 

So, we heed their advice.   As Craig moves, we frequently get back in the vehicles to be repositioned.   “We cannot walk in front of the elephant,” one guide says to me, “but we can drive in front of him.”  

 

They do not drive close.   Rather, they move far away and then circle back, trying to get us in position for full frontal photos of this magnificent creature, one of the last “super tuskers.”

 

Even the guides are in awe, even if they have seen him many times.   They pull out their cell phones and take quick photos at the same time they keep an eye on us.

 Many photographers prefer to get down on the ground—kneeling, sitting, or lying down—in order to get a low perspective.   This is ideal when shooting massive creatures, something like getting the horizon and sky under a giraffe’s belly to emphasize its height.

L to R:   Shelly, Sylvia, Virginia, and a guide.

 

At far right, a guide reaches for the photographers to have him pull back as Craig approaches.

All around, people are  lying in the sand.   I kneel.   I sit.   And I instantly get help standing again, whether I need it or not.   (Which I usually do.)

The second time I could have reached out and touched him as he moved beside my vehicle and another.

 

I see Marg and Shelly and a guide by one of our vehicles.   Shelly is kneeling and Marg is stretched flat out.   Craig is approaching.

 

I’m in our vehicle and I whip out my cell phone to video what happens.    Watch  Marg, the consummate photographer.

Watch this amazing video!!!!

All is well.   The guide moves in to help Marg, but she is well aware of the elephant and what she must do.    They crouch by the truck, becoming part of it and keeping their low vantage point.

Craig stops to sniff the air twice.    I think I would have fainted, but Marg keeps her camera ready and continues to shoot.

We move away and the guides break out the breakfast tins.   Craig, however, ambles over and stays nearby.   I think he likes our company.

Sylvia and Cory waiting for breakfast.   Craig is to the right of the open truck door.

They always send too much for us to eat.  A BLT with cucumber sandwich, pastries, sausage, fruit, yoghurt, mints, and juice.   There is also coffee and tea.

Breakfast with Craig!

He continues to hang with us.   He even moves closer.

He is such a presence!

There is always a Maasai Warrior with Craig and the few other big tuskers.    Twenty-four hours a day, they guard him at a distance.   Perhaps this is why Craig is so gentle and comfortable with humans.   That, and the fact that people have been staring at him for 50 years.

I doubt that Randy will ever forget being so close to a legendary elephant.

I watch this magnificent animal (sometimes with tears in my eyes) as he tears branches from trees or uses a front foot to uproot a small bush.

From an online site:  

• Elephants grow two tusks. These are their incisors. There aren’t incisors in their lower jaw.
• Tusks keep on growing throughout the elephant’s life.
• All African elephants, male and female, have tusks but only male Asian elephants have tusks that grow longer than their lip.
• Tusks are a useful tool for ripping bark, digging up roots and moving things that are in the way. Elephants can favour one tusk over the other, just as people are either right or left handed.
• The part of the tusk that shows is made of dentine covered by enamel.
• There is also a third more tusk concealed in the elephant’s head.

Craig, like all elephants, will have five or six sets of molars to last his life span.

More from the same site as above:

• Elephants are herbivores. As they spend 22 hours a day chewing vegetation, they need their really big, strong, ridged, back teeth.
• Apart from two tusks (if present), elephants have only four other teeth in a set.  While people’s teeth grow either up or down from the jawbone, an elephant’s molars grow in from the back of the jaw. There is one tooth for each quadrant that moves towards the front and is replaced when worn down.
• An elephant will have six sets of four molars in its lifetime. Occasionally an elephant may be lucky and have seven sets.
• Each time the teeth change, the new set is bigger. An elephant molar can be about 20cm long, and weigh 4kg.
• If an elephant lives so long it has used up its life supply of teeth, then it may die from malnutrition.

Craig scratching an itch with his trunk.

I show Marg the cell phone video of Craig approaching when she was lying on the ground.

She pulls out her phone and shows me a photo that she took of Craig last February.    The difference is astonishing and even my untrained eye can see that he has lost weight.   Whether this is because of his age and worn molars, I can't say.  But it is worrisome.

What kind of nutrition can there be in eating dry, dead sticks?

Amboseli had another super tusker named Tim.   He died two years ago of "natural causes."  A twisted gut, they said.  Earth Touch News Network had this to say about Tim:

"The only marks on his body were the imprints left by other elephants. Perhaps it was his companions, trying to lift him back on his feet. Push the life back into him."

It's time to head back to camp for the mid-day break.   I watch Craig as he saunters away and wonder if I will ever see him again.  Not on this trip, to be sure.   And probably never if this drought doesn't end.