Kenya pays tribute to beloved 'super tusker' elephant

NAIROBI

Kenyans are mourning the death of a beloved “super tusker” elephant whose long life in the wild came to symbolize the country's increasingly successful efforts to protect the mammals from ivory poachers.

The bull elephant, who died on Jan. 3, was named Craig. He lived in Amboseli National Park, a protected area in southern Kenya that is a favorite of safari tourists, the Kenya Wildlife Service said in a statement.

“Craig, the legendary super tusker famed for its immense, ground-sweeping tusks and calm, dignified presence, passed on at the age of 54," the statement said.

The Amboseli Trust for Elephants said Craig had died of natural causes. The conservation 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 the death of Craig, saying of the elephant that it was a rare creature as “one of the last remaining elephants identified as super tuskers in Africa.”

The term describes a bull elephant with tusks that weigh over 45 kilograms each. Tusks that size are so long that they scrape the ground as the elephant walks, according to the Tsavo Trust, a non-profit conservation group in Kenya. Females that grow long tusks are called iconic cows, the group says.

In 2021, Craig was adopted by beer maker East African Breweries through its popular Tusker brand, reflecting his prominence but also underscoring collaboration between conservation groups and others in Kenya.