Iconic Kenyan elephant dies after living for more than 60 years

NAIROBI, Kenya

Dida, the Kenyan elephant popularly known among conservationists and tourists as “the Queen of Tsavo,” has died, Kenya Wildlife Service said Tuesday.

The queen was between 60 and 65 years old and was the matriarch in Kenya’s Tsavo East National Park, the biggest park in the East African country.

“We are saddened by the death of Dida who was possibly Africa’s largest female Tusker,” according to the agency, adding that she died from natural causes due to old age after living a full life.

“Dida was a truly an iconic matriarch of Tsavo and a great repository of many decades worth of knowledge. She shepherd her herd through many seasons and challenging times. She served as both the subject to various documentaries and an iconic tourist attraction,” it said.

The park where Dida died forms the largest protected area in Kenya and is home to most of the larger mammals, vast herds of dust --red elephant, Rhino, buffalo, lion, leopard, pods of hippo, crocodile, waterbucks, lesser Kudu, gerenuk and the prolific bird life features 500 recorded species, according to the agency.

Hundreds of elephants have died in Kenya in recent months due to a biting drought that has rocked the East African region.

Tourism Minister Peninah Malonza visited Tsavo East National Park on Tuesday to see drought mitigation measures the ministry is taking to conserve wildlife.

“The ongoing drought experienced in the country has had (a) huge impact on wildlife and habitats. It has resulted in (the) dispersal of wildlife from their traditional habitats in search of pasture and water,” said Malonza.

She added that her ministry has rolled out mitigation programs that include, “provision of water to wildlife through water trucking and construction of water pans,” adding that there are also human-wildlife conflict mitigation measures effected by maintaining damaged electric fences and other infrastructure in hotspot areas.