Instagram – Nov 23, 2022 @ 11:17
It was with utter sadness that read of the death of Super Tusker and star of recent film ‘Emergence’ that we worked on in collaboration with Off Piste Africa and Tsavo Trust.
RIP Lugard- you will always have our hearts
Posted @withrepost • @tsavotrust It is with a heavy heart that we say goodbye to one of Tsavo’s iconic and majestic Super Tuskers named Lugard, who has just died of old age, accelerated by the severe drought.
Lugard’s 3-day old carcass was observed from the air by Tsavo Trust’s Conservation Officer & Pilot, Joseph Kimaile on 21st November 2022 within Tsavo West National Park during a routine reconnaissance flight. An immediate ground response was initiated by KWS and Tsavo Trust to verify the situation.
The joint team confirmed the carcass was indeed that of the famous Super Tusker called Lugard and that the cause of death was natural. Both tusks were intact and recovered.
Lugard was first named and recorded into the Big Tusker Project database on 1st January 2014.
Tsavo Trust / KWS have physically observed Lugard on 373 separate occasions since. This equates to an average observation of Lugard nearly once every week for the last 9 years! Considering the Tsavo parks, where Lugard roamed, cover an area of 22,000km2 this presence and track record is something that has undoubtedly contributed to Lugard living out a full life. This is a rarity in todays elephant world, and especially with an elephant that has carried such impressive ivory for so many years.
This joint Tsavo Trust / KWS project is very proud of this and it clearly reflects that these collaborative efforts under the Big Tusker Project are effective.
Although it is always sad to lose an elephant, there is no doubt that Lugard is the father of many, many elephants of differing ages and it is likely that several of his offspring will in turn become Super Tuskers, for his rare “large tusk” genes have been passed on and secured in the Tsavo ecosystem.
📸 Tsavo Trust / @james.lewin_photography