Johan Siggesson’s Striking Portraits of ‘Big Tuskers’ in Kenya

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.

A black-and-white photo by Johan Siggesson of a baby elephant walking beside its mother — “Together Forever”

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.

A black-and-white photo by Johan Siggesson of a straight-on portrait of a big tusker elephant — “Face to Face”

A black-and-white photo by Johan Siggesson of a big tusker elephant — “Michael”

A black-and-white photo by Johan Siggesson of a family of elephants moving through a Kenyan landscape — “Hot Pursuit”

A black-and-white photo by Johan Siggesson of a big tusker elephant named Craig near a tree, beneath a cloudy sky — “Craig & Tree”

A black-and-white photo by Johan Siggesson of a herd of elephants walking through a Kenyan landscape — “At the Foot of the Mountain”

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