The most famous elephant in the world: Craig

Saturday morning. Around 7 a.m.

My phone was ringing and I remember being slightly annoyed. It was early, it was a Saturday, and I really didn’t want to wake up that early for anything.

When I looked at the screen, I saw it was David.

David is the Maasai who tracked Craig. The guy people often call the Craig Whisperer. If there was anyone who truly understood Craig, it was him.

I picked up, but the line wasn’t very clear. Maybe my network, maybe his. All I could hear properly was him saying, “Hi, happy new year.”

That threw me off. I remember thinking, is that really why you’re calling me at 7 in the morning?

Then he said there was some news and asked if I had seen his message. I hadn’t. For some reason, he didn’t say it on the call. Maybe it was too much to say out loud.

So I checked my phone.

The message said, “Sad news. Craig has passed away.”

I just stared at it for a few seconds. There wasn’t an immediate reaction. Just silence.

After a few minutes, I called him back. He confirmed it. Natural causes. He said we’d talk later.

I went back to sleep.

When I woke up again, my phone was full of Craig. Posts, stories, tributes. Everywhere I looked, there he was.

That’s when it really started to sink in.

Craig wasn’t just another famous animal to me.

Yes, I’m a wildlife photographer. Yes, part of my job is to connect animals to people. But Craig was one of the very few wildlife encounters I’ve had where I genuinely felt a deep connection.

Being with him felt different.

Craig was a super tusker. One of the largest elephants in the world, carrying some of the heaviest tusks on the planet at age 54. His size alone could stop you in your tracks.

And yet, he was unbelievably gentle.

From a wildlife point of view, Craig was the true definition of mutual trust. He was one of those rare elephants you could walk with on foot. Always keeping a respectful distance, never touching, always aware.

Because of that trust, we were able to photograph him from very low angles, on foot. Looking up at this massive animal, calmly going about his day.

That experience alone taught me a lot about wildlife photography.

The best images don’t come from forcing moments. They come from trust. And trust in wildlife is incredibly fragile.

At any moment, Craig could have changed his mind. He had the power to do anything. But he never did. He always chose calm. He always chose restraint.

That’s where the bigger life lesson comes in.

Craig was huge. Undeniably powerful. And yet, he never felt the need to show it. He minded his own business. He didn’t react to attention. He didn’t perform.

To me, that’s humility.

True power doesn’t need to announce itself. Sometimes presence alone is enough.

There were moments when Craig would slowly walk toward us, not aggressively, not intentionally. Just because the grass he wanted was there. And we would move. Not because he forced us to, but because it was obvious.

That’s aura.

He didn’t push. He didn’t threaten. He simply existed.

Craig also taught me how to read animals better. Not perfectly. Not as an expert. But enough to understand when trust is there and when it isn’t. When to stay. When to back off.

And this is important to say: you cannot do this with every elephant. You absolutely should not try. Craig was unique.

Beyond photography, Craig became a huge part of my photo tours. For many of my guests, he was the highlight of Amboseli, and often the highlight of their entire Kenyan experience.

People had moments with him that felt almost spiritual. Moments of silence. Moments of perspective.

Those moments mattered. They turned trips into memories. They turned strangers into friends.

Because of Craig, I’ve made lifelong friendships.

Because of Craig, I met some of my closest friends through a single photograph I shared on Instagram. That connection turned into a client, and then into life-long friendships.

Because of Craig, opportunities opened up in my life that I could never have planned.

That’s why I’m grateful.

Craig was never just an animal to me. He was a teacher.

He taught me about trust. About humility. About presence. About power that doesn’t need to be loud.

He lives on in photographs, yes. But more importantly, he lives on in the memories he created and the lessons he left behind.

And for that, I’ll always be thankful.

Rest easy, big guy!