Among African elephants, “Big Tuskers” refers to bulls that grow tusks so long they sometimes scrape the ground. Each one can weigh well over 100 pounds. These giant, ivory incisors continually grow throughout an elephant’s life, and males typically have much larger tusks than females.
The bigger the tusks, however, the more vulnerable these gentle giants are to poachers who harvest and traffic the ivory for trade. There are only a couple dozen left in nature preserves like Kenya’s Tsavo East National Park and Amboseli National Park.
For wilderness photographer Johan Siggesson, a fascination with animals and their habitats led to a series of striking black-and-white photographs of elephants and their herds in Kenya. From charming juveniles to big tuskers like Craig (1972-2026) and emerging contenders like the 35-year-old Michael, Siggesson captures the incredible anatomy, habitat, and behavior of these endangered megafauna.
Prints are available for purchase on Siggesson’s website. Explore more of his work on Instagram.
