This is about my experience with Craig, the gentle giant. I have traveled to a few places and seen tigers, lions, elephants, and hippos at close quarters, but none of them have had the impact that Craig had on me. It was love at first sight, and an emotional attachment from a brief encounter.
I grew up in Bombay, a chaotic city to say the least. It has its charm, for me, nostalgia attached, as I grew up there. You eventually become accustomed to the constant noise; you learn to tune it out. I have since lived across the world and now live in the US. The noise, though, somehow has stayed with me.
When you put a person from Bombay in the Masai Mara, the person is lost. Complete silence. Calm and serene. Wide open space as far as the eye can see, and animals grazing like they have been magically placed there. The Kilimanjaro looming in the back. It’s surreal.
I forgot to mention, somewhere in my childhood, I picked up a camera while working as a delivery boy at a photo studio. I could not afford the equipment, and finally, when I was able to buy a camera, I never kept it down. It became a hobby, a secret passion maybe. I took a lot of photos, never for the galleries. Digital cameras and the internet, especially Instagram, changed that. I started getting feedback about my photos. Positive ones. An idea struck. How can my photos help? Children’s education has been a cause close to my heart. I wanted to merge the two passions. How can my photos help children’s education? SG Photos was born.
Back to the Mara. It’s a magical place. You can only imagine what it would be like, but you are not ready for it. While planning the trip, I heard about this magical beast called Craig the elephant. A giant tusker. You can only imagine, and you can only hope for a dream shot, and that’s what you are looking forward to. You are not ready for Craig.
Some facts about Craig. Craig is no more. Carig was a super tusker, a bull elephant with tusks weighing over 100 pounds each. Craig became a symbol of wildlife conservation in East Africa. He lived in the Amboseli National Park.
He was a gentle giant. Completely at ease with hordes of people around him, going about his daily chores. He was adept at ripping the bark of trees with his trunk and his giant tusks. He had a magnificent gait. The most important facet of his personality was his calmness. He was calm, and he put you at ease. You could dare to be within 10 feet of him while he was walking straight at you. You never felt threatened. He made you comfortable. He was a mentor to all the young calves around him.
You could only experience Craig in person. I was blessed that I could meet him just before he passed. He left a deep impact on me. He was kind enough to give me one of the most beautiful photos of my life. I truly will miss him.
It was a personal loss.
