The magnificent female elephant Dida, who was between 60 and 65 years old, passed away from old age in Kenya’s Tsavo East National Park.
Dida, who flourished on the Kenyan grasslands and was reputed to be Africa’s largest female tusker, came to represent the enhanced status of her species in African wildlife. Dida displayed her long tusks and tough tusker skin for both visitors and Kenyan residents, living far longer than the usual life expectancy for an elephant in the wild.
“She died from natural causes due to old age having lived a full life,” the Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) informed on Twitter while attaching the images of now deceased tusker.
Dida was truly an iconic matriarch
“Dida was truly an iconic matriarch of Tsavo and a great repository of many decades worth of knowledge. She shepherds her herd through many seasons and challenging times. She served as both the subject to various documentaries and an iconic tourist attraction,” Kenya Wildlife Service added.
Environment conservation group Tsavo Trust pointed out that Dida was “a true embodiment of an iconic cow (female elephant)”.
Dida will be even better remembered by the numerous generations of elephants in Tsavo, who “will benefit, for years to come, from the lessons they learned as they watched their matriarch pass her thorough judgment,” the group’s Facebook statement continued. Elephants are remembered forever.
Dida’s passing occurs during Kenya’s driest period in decades
Dida’s death “due to old age” occurs as Kenya experiences its worst drought in 40 years, endangering both human and animal survival. According to a UN assessment published on October 23, over 90% of water supplies in some areas had dried up.