Oh please, Gaia, protect this ancient matriarch and her tribe as well.

Here's a color shot of the same elephant, designated "F_MU1"



THAT'S a big Tusker.

I wish I had been wrong, but sometimes you just know things even when you don't want to. RIP esteemed great spirit.

https://hyperallergic.com/489691/the-queen-of-elephants-photographed-in-kenya/

These animals absolutely fascinate me. They're intuitive, they grieve, have very deep and long lasting family ties, they have remarkable compassion and of course, memories. They can communicate with each other over scores of miles via low frequency rumblings. Their feet are also very sensitive to sound and vibration and contribute to their understanding of their surroundings.

They apparently can have an unbelievably detailed mental map of the area they inhabit that can stretch over thousands of square miles, knowing where each and every water hole is, and can make a bee-line for any of them on a moments notice. They always know how far away the next source of drinking water is.

If humans drive these magnificent creatures to extinction, it will be a tragedy beyond comprehension.