{"id":225708,"date":"2026-01-03T19:10:11","date_gmt":"2026-01-03T19:10:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/225708\/"},"modified":"2026-01-03T19:10:11","modified_gmt":"2026-01-03T19:10:11","slug":"craig-the-beer-ambassador-elephant-dies-aged-54","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/225708\/","title":{"rendered":"Craig the beer-ambassador elephant dies aged 54"},"content":{"rendered":"

Natasha Bootyand<\/p>\n

Richard Kagoe<\/p>\n

\"AmboseliAmboseli Trust for Elephants<\/p>\n

He lived to a ripe old age and would often pose for photographs, say officials<\/p>\n

A Kenyan elephant believed to have been one of Africa’s largest male tuskers has died of old age.<\/p>\n

The pachyderm, fondly known as Craig, died of natural causes on Saturday morning at Amboseli National Park in southern Kenya, conservationists confirmed.<\/p>\n

“Craig had just turned 54 years old. He led a long life and no doubt fathered many calves,” said the Amboseli Trust for Elephants in its farewell message.<\/p>\n

Famed for his long tusks, Craig the elephant was a major attraction at the park near the Tanzanian border. In 2021, he was named an ambassador for the popular Kenyan lager brand Tusker – a name also used for adult male elephants with tusks.<\/p>\n

The Kenya Wildlife Service described Craig as an “icon” of successful conservation.<\/p>\n

“Craig was one of the last remaining super tuskers in Africa – a rare class of bull elephants whose two tusks weigh over 45kg (100lb) each. Fewer than a handful remain today, making him a living monument to Africa’s natural heritage.”<\/p>\n

The wildlife body also said “Craig was deeply loved for [his] remarkably calm nature”<\/a>, often “pausing patiently as visitors photographed and filmed him”. <\/p>\n

“Thanks to his many protectors, he died peacefully of natural causes.”<\/p>\n

More than two million tourists visited Kenya last year, many of them seeking out wildlife in the country’s world-famous national parks.<\/p>\n

Kenya’s tourism sector accounts for 10% of national GDP<\/a>, officials say.<\/p>\n

\"AFPAFP via Getty Images<\/p>\n

Craig the elephant became a brand ambassador for Tusker five years ago<\/p>\n

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