Preface: This is a lengthy post, and I apologize in advance. If you’re seeking a way to support conservation efforts such as those that help tuskers like Craig live a long and healthy life, please skip ahead.
You may have heard the sad news that Craig, one of the last living super tuskers, passed away over the weekend. When I awoke Saturday morning, a somber text message was waiting for me from Moses, my friend and guide in the Amboseli region of Kenya.
For those unaware, Craig wasn’t merely a “super tusker,” as rare as that is. He was the largest-known living elephant, which resulted in him enjoying celebrity status among safari and conservation circles. The phrase “super tusker” is applied to elephants that have tusks weighing 45kg/100lb each. Having observed Craig’s tuskers mere feet from my face (he was not at all shy and frequently approached visitors), I certainly believe his tusks easily surpassed this minimum qualification.
I devoted an entire chapter to Craig in my book, Exploring Creation: African Safari. Spending several days with Craig in February 2025 was a privilege that I’ll never forget nor take for granted. I spoke about him at length in my book, but thinking and speaking about him now—posthumously—provides me with a bit of a different perspective.
When I think of him now, which I’ve done quite a bit over recent days, I not only regard him as an ambassador for conservation, but that it seemed as if he knew he was special, cherished, and celebrated. His personality (yes, elephants have personalities) and demeanor were difficult to describe, but most certainly different from most other elephants.
As his 12+ foot-tall towering frame lumbered across the plains within the shadows of Mount Kilimanjaro, he exhibited a sense of dignity. He truly had presence.
Ask anyone that had an encounter with Craig—myself included—and they’ll likely share that at times it seemed as if he was posing for cameras. As someone who travels the world to observe and photograph wildlife, I can promise you that this isn’t common. Elephants are highly intelligent, and I believe that he had learned over his 54 years of life that humans received immense joy when in his presence—and he enjoyed knowing and witnessing this.
As sad as Craig’s passing is, ultimately I believe we should be celebrating. Craig’s passing of natural causes, as opposed to death at the hands of poachers or trophy hunters, is proof that conservation efforts are indeed working. Not that long ago, a bull elephant of this size would have been murdered and his tusks brutally removed before being sold on the black market. The idea that a super tusker could die of “old age” would have been unthinkable.
But now, times have and are changing, especially in Kenya. Other countries and regions have work to do, but Craig will forever be an ambassador and symbol for everything wild and free.
There are many people and organizations that we can thank for this, from the local Maasai people that carefully watched over Craig, to the Kenya Wildlife Service, to the many non-profit organizations such as the Sheldrick Wildlife Trust.
I can think of no better moment to support these conservation efforts than right now, and I hope you’ll join me in doing so. For the month of January 2026, I am offering this beautiful monochrome capture of Craig:
When you purchase this special Conservation Edition, a $200 donation will be made to the Sheldrick Wildlife Trust in your honor. Learn more about this opportunity and the SWT here.
As saddened as I am to know that I’ll never see Craig again, I’m so very excited and grateful for the fact that he lived such an impactful life. So many people around the world have a greater appreciation for Creation because of him and the conservation efforts that protected him, and I hope you’ll join me in supporting these efforts in whatever way(s) you can.
Thank you for your support, thank you for reading, and I wish you a Happy New Year.
Naturally Yours,
