Craig, the Amboseli elephant and the celebrated super tusker, died early Saturday, Jan. 3, 2026, officials said. Kenya Wildlife Service confirmed the death in Amboseli National Park after rangers found him motionless. Craig was 54, and among Africaโs last bulls with ground-sweeping tusks. Conservation groups said he likely died of natural causes, after months of age-related digestive trouble.
His passing closes a long chapter for Amboseli, where the Craig drew tourists and pride from local families.
Amboseli Trust for Elephants traced his birth to January 1972, to Cassandra of the CB family.
Craig Death Confirmed
The Kenya Wildlife Service said Craig died within the Amboseli ecosystem, near community land that borders the park.
Big Life Foundation said he had shown serious digestive issues, and age makes recovery hard for bulls. Officials did not report signs of poaching, and his tusks remained intact.
In Kenya, poachers have long targeted big tuskers, so his peaceful end felt like a rare relief.
A life shaped by the CB family
Craig belonged to the well-studied CB family, a lineage followed for decades by researchers. He was born to Cassandra, a matriarch known for leading her relatives through drought and danger. Some researchers suspected he had a twin sister, Cerise, who later became the CB matriarch. That link is not confirmed, but the idea stayed because Craig and Cerise were close in age. He matured into a calm bull, and guides often described him as patient around vehicles.
Why Craig Mattered
Craig was a โsuper tusker,โ a bull with tusks that can weigh over 45 kilograms. Such elephants are rare now, because big tusks bring danger from poachers and trophy hunters.
In 2021, East African Breweries even adopted Craig as a symbol for Tusker beer, reports said. To many Kenyans, he stood for a conservation story that worked, with rangers and communities holding the line. The Associated Press noted Kenyaโs elephant numbers have risen in recent years, a trend Craig helped embody.
Researchers at the Amboseli Trust for Elephants documented his movements and family ties.
Protected By People Who Share His Range
Much of the Craig’s range overlapped farms and grazing land, so protection depended on trust. Conservationists said community scouts and park rangers tracked him often, and they responded fast to threats. Big Life Foundation said false death rumors last November were wrong, but they showed how watched he was.
Now, those protectors are also mourners, remembering the Craig Amboseli elephant as gentle, but never weak.
His death also recalls that of Tolstoy, another Amboseli bull whose natural death in 2022 that we reported on, prompted fresh calls for vigilance.
Many travelers who came to Kenya to see Craig relied on our accommodation in Amboseli guide to plan stays.
What happens after Craig?
Craig likely sired many calves, and his genes will remain in Amboseli herds for years. Still, super tuskers are not replaced easily, because few bulls live long enough to grow tusks like that. Officials said they will continue monitoring other big bulls, and they urged visitors to respect viewing rules.
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