A video capturing the final moments of Craig, the elephant with the world's largest tusks, has left many wildlife enthusiasts feeling regretful and heartbroken.
Craig, one of the rare remaining super-tusked elephants and a symbol of the Amboseli Nature Reserve, passed away on January 3rd at the age of 54.
Craig's passing has left wildlife lovers around the world deeply saddened.
Craig is famous for his enormous tusks, which are long enough to touch the ground and each weigh up to 50kg. This is the result of a rare genetic mutation that allows the elephant's tusks to grow continuously throughout its life. Thanks to his long lifespan, Craig possesses tusks of such impressive size, making him one of the most well-known elephants in Africa.
Craig stands out because of his enormous tusks. These tusks also put Craig at risk of poaching (Photo: Amboseli Nature Reserve).
Late last year, rangers in Amboseli discovered Craig was experiencing serious digestive problems. Despite intensive care from veterinarians, the elephant's condition relapsed in early 2026.
On January 2nd, Craig collapsed and was unable to get up. Despite all efforts to save him, due to his advanced age and frail health, Craig could not be saved.
Veterinarians said that tests of Craig's feces showed the elephant was unable to chew food normally, a sign of age-related tooth wear. Elephants have six sets of molars throughout their lives, and when the last set wears down, their lifespan is usually not long.
The video capturing Craig's final moments has been widely shared on social media, deeply moving and saddening the animal-loving community. Craig, born in 1972, was famous not only for his tusks but also for his gentle and friendly personality towards both his own kind and humans.
In their natural environment, male African elephants can live up to 60 years, while females live up to 45 years, although some individuals may live to 70 years.
Craig's enormous tusks remained intact when the elephant died and will likely be preserved by authorities. Representatives from Amboseli National Park expressed their sorrow: "It is with great sadness that we must say goodbye to one of Amboseli's familiar icons, the super-tusked elephant named Craig, who has passed away due to old age."
The final moments of the super-tusked elephant Craig's life (Video: Wildest Kruger Sightings).
Before his death, Craig mated with many female elephants in the reserve and left behind many calves. Experts hope that Craig's mutated gene will be passed on, creating more super-tusked elephants in the future.
Kenyan rangers have been working to protect giant elephants from poaching, as their enormous tusks are highly valuable on the black market. It is estimated that only about 20 to 30 giant elephants remain alive across Africa, primarily concentrated in Kenya, Tanzania, and South Africa.
The record for the largest tusks in history belongs to the super-tusked elephants that lived in the late 19th century, with tusks reaching up to 3 meters in length and weighing over 100 kilograms.