Kenya Wildlife Service has begun preserving Craig, one of Africa’s last remaining super tuskers, through taxidermy following his death earlier this month, a rare step aimed at education and conservation.
In a statement on Tuesday, January 13, KWS said the process will allow the public and researchers to study Craig long after his death. Craig, the famed Amboseli National Park elephant, died aged 54.
Born in January 1972 to the matriarch Cassandra of the CB family, Craig belonged to a shrinking class of elephants known as super tuskers, defined by tusks weighing more than 45 kilograms each.
Taxidermy involves preserving an animal’s skin and key physical features and mounting them on a form to recreate a lifelike appearance for public display, education and scientific study.
KWS said the method offers a lasting way to learn from wildlife after death.
“In recognition of Craig’s ecological, scientific and cultural value, we have initiated a professional taxidermy preservation process to ensure his legacy endures,” said KWS Director General Prof Erustus Kanga.
KWS said specialists are preserving Craig’s skin and structure to create a lifelike mount for long-term exhibition.
The agency will later announce where the mount will be housed and when the public can access it.
Craig became a global symbol of Amboseli and decades of wildlife protection.
KWS said he fathered numerous calves, extending his genetic line across generations under sustained monitoring.
“Craig’s life reflected the success of collective conservation efforts and this preservation will offer future generations a tangible connection to Kenya’s wildlife heritage,” noted Kanga.
With only a handful of super tuskers left in Africa, KWS said preserving Craig after death reflects growing concern over the loss of iconic wildlife as elephants face poaching pressure and habitat decline.
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