🐘 An Award for Craig
One of my favorite wildlife experiences ever was observing the elephant herds of the Amboseli and Tsavo ecosystem in the south of Kenya - to read about my time in the country, check the blog!
This region is a special place to see these magnificent animals for a few reasons, not the least of which is the presence of the so-called Super Tuskers: Elephants with tusks weighing more than 100 pounds each, often taking 50 years or more to grow until they literally scrape the floor.
Craig
The king of them all is Craig, the elephant with the largest tusks in Africa. In his 50s, he has seen it all, a large, gentle, imposing bull, with slightly withered skin and tusks that have scraped more than a few trees in their lifetime.
There are just over 20 or so of these Super Tuskers left on earth, split between the Kruger National Park in South Africa, and this area of Kenya. Poaching, human wildlife conflict, and age has been a challenge over the last decades, although the local population is now more sensitive than ever to their plight, and rangers and park officials have increased efforts to keep them safe.
When I saw that Pexels was looking for photos to celebrate our wild world in collaboration with the International Fund for Animal Welfare as part of their 2024 global competition, I thought that Craig would make a pretty good subject, and submitted my favourite photo of him.
Side profile of Craig - the winning photo.
It seems to have been a good choice, because a few weeks ago, I got an E-Mail telling me I had won the competition! And I can’t deny, the price for the competition was kind of the reason I signed up in the first place: A trip back to Amboseli! Sometimes things come full circle and I can’t wait to visit again in the summer of 2025.
Watch the video to hear the story behind the photo and see some behind the scenes clips!
The Matriarch
The dried-up lake bed of Lake Amboseli also witnesses a regular ritual for large elephant families lead by the matriarch. In the mornings, they cross from the forest areas on one side towards the swamp lands on the other, in search of water. With a little bit of patience, you can photograph their amazing formations as they walk in line and, if you’re brave enough, you might be able to do so from the ground for that extra special perspective. To witness the behaviour of these magnificent creatures and how it reflects their social ties and emotions is an eye-opening experience with a lasting impact. Their plight for survival in a world that continues to hunt them for ivory is a topic that deserves more attention.
Draught is a major issue for the animals in this area: every year, dozens of elephants don’t make it through the dry season, as they need in excess of 100L of water per day, and a large bull can drink over 200L in a day.
For the winning trip, I am currently working with IFAW and Pexels on a plan to document the work of their rangers and conservationists, hopefully highlighting the amazing work they do to support the wildlife and create sustainable community engagement in the region.
Despite the challenges, the area boasts Kenya’s largest elephant population: more than 15,000 individuals call the Tsavo / Amboseli ecosystem home.
Craig blowing dust in the air as he walks past Africa’s tallest mountain (and the tallest free-standing mountain in the world), the mighty Kilimanjaro. The ice glacier on the tallest peak has gradually receded, and is now less than 2 sqkm. It is estimated that by 2060 no ice will remain on the Kilimanjaro due to global warming. The mountain is actually located across the border in Tanzania, but elephants of course don’t care about human borders, making it even harder to properly track and protect them.
I’m looking forward to be back here - subscribe below to stay up to date.
