Kenya’s Dida, an iconic tusker elephant dubbed the “Queen of Tsavo,” has died, wildlife officials announced this week.
According to USA Today and CBS News, Tsavo East National Park, where Dida lived, announced that the elephant died Monday at an estimated 60 to 65 years old.
“Tsavo has suffered the loss of a best-loved matriarch and the greatest repository of many decades’ worth of knowledge,” the park wrote in a Facebook post. “Dida, the true iconic matriarch of Tsavo, died naturally of old age.”
The Kenya Wildlife Service also took to social media to pay tribute to Dida, saying she “was possibly Africa’s largest female tusker” – the name given to elephants whose massive tusks touch the ground.
“She shepherded her herd through many seasons and challenging times,” the service wrote. “She served as both the subject to various documentaries and an iconic tourist attraction. Those who got to know her through pictures and videos, as well as those who had the exquisite pleasure of meeting her in person, will remember her.”
The Tsavo Trust said an estimated 25 tuskers remain in the wild, according to CBS News.
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