Amboséli, Kenya – Africa and the global conservation community are mourning the loss of Craig, one of the last remaining super tuskers, who passed away peacefully on Saturday, January 3, 2026, in Amboseli National Park, Kenya. He was 54 years old.
Born in January 1972 to the matriarch Cassandra of the CB family, Craig belonged to a rare class of bull elephants with tusks weighing over 45 kilograms (100 pounds) each, making him a powerful symbol of Kenya’s wildlife heritage.
“Craig was a gentle giant and a true icon of Amboseli,” the Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) said in a statement. “His calm nature and enormous tusks made him a favourite among tourists and photographers worldwide.”
Craig sired several offspring, helping preserve the rare big-tusker genes increasingly lost due to poaching. In 2021, he was symbolically adopted by East African Breweries Limited, through its Tusker brand, to raise awareness for elephant conservation.
His remarkable longevity was credited to KWS’s anti-poaching efforts, habitat protection, community partnerships, and constant monitoring in the Amboseli ecosystem.
With fewer than a handful of super tuskers left in Africa, Craig’s death underscores the fragility of this genetic trait amid threats like poaching, habitat loss, and climate pressures. Yet his life also stands as a testament to the success of protection efforts in Kenya.
Tributes have poured in from around the world, honouring his enduring role as an ambassador for elephant conservation. “His memory will live on through Amboseli’s iconic landscape and our continued fight to protect Africa’s elephants,” conservationists said.
Craig’s passing reminds the world of the importance of safeguarding the remaining giants of Africa’s wildlife heritage for generations to come.
