Tim, the iconic super-tusker who roamed the Amboseli area of Kenya, has died of natural causes. He was 50 years old.
Tim was an enormous bull elephant, with massive tusks that touched the ground. His fame catalysed many conservation programs, and he was a popular photographic subject for safari tourists, who would travel from across the world to see him. He is Africa’s most photographed elephant.
‘Tim was, without a doubt, mischievous’. During the first year, he made 183 attempts to enter farmlands and raid crops. The monitoring team were able to stop around 50% of these from going any further, Save the Elephants said. In February last year, Tim nearly died after he became trapped in a muddy swamp. However was later rescued by KWS and animal protection groups. Former Save the Elephants field assistant Ryan Wilkie said: “Tim was a special elephant – not just to me but to hundreds, thousands of people who would flock to Amboseli just for the chance to see him.
“He was so incredibly intelligent, mischievous, yes, but also a truly gentle giant and in that way a real ambassador for his species.”
Tim captured the hearts of people around the world because of his gentle demeanor. He is an ambassador for his species, as his legend will live on.
We celebrate his life with these images, which were submitted by entrants to our Photographer of the Year.
