Scots photographer David Yarrow pays tribute as iconic elephant he spent years capturing on film dies

Renowned wildlife photographer David Yarrow has paid tribute to elephant Big Tim, a so-called big tusker who died last week.

Yarrow photographed him many times over the past eight years and said he was in awe of the animal.

“I spent so much time with him over the years in Amboseli,” David said. “He made almost every other elephant in the world look average.

“There are only 20 big tuskers – the ones whose tusks touch the ground like a mammoth – left in the world and they are all in Kenya, at Amboseli and Tsavo.

“The big bulls are that bit special. They are big boys and tend to be loners, but Tim was accessible and, working with the tribes and rangers, I got access and knew I was fairly safe with him. He wasn’t someone who would charge you with the idea of killing you, he was comfortable with your presence because there had been no poaching in six years and so they were becoming increasingly comfortable with people.

“The biggest issue for Tim was he would eat tomatoes and other crops from the farmers, which they didn’t like, but he wasn’t under threat from poachers.

“So his death isn’t a tragedy. Everyone dies and he lived to 50, a good age.

“I’ve been lucky enough to photograph him just about more than anyone and the last time I was with him, last August, was a special moment.”

Last month, David launched the Koala Comeback Campaign, hoping to raise £1.6 million for the recovery efforts in Australia after the wildfires.

With the backing of celebrities like Leonardo DiCaprio and Cindy Crawford, the campaign has already passed the halfway mark.