# Craig the elephant has died **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [January 4, 2026, 10:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/craig-the-elephant-has-died/1026354 "2026-01-04T22:53:21Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 16\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2026, 10:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/craig-the-elephant-has-died/1026354/1 "2026-01-04T22:53:21Z")
And I’ll bet he wasn’t in the Death Pool. [Craig](https://apnews.com/article/kenya-elephant-craig-died-640cce608949bae6f9c4cf93953370e4) was a very well-known elephant in Amboseli National Park in Kenya. He was 54 years old and had massive tusks weighing about 45kg each. Craig lived free and wild (although habituated to humans) and died of natural causes. ---
**Author:** ![Darren\_Garrison](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/darren_garrison/32/92_2.png) [@Darren\_Garrison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darren_Garrison)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2026, 11:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/craig-the-elephant-has-died/1026354/2 "2026-01-04T23:22:19Z")
Maybe he’ll meet Kiko the giraffe. > **[Beloved giraffe born at the Greenville Zoo dies in tragic accident](https://www.wyff4.com/article/greenville-born-giraffe-kiko-dies-toronto-zoo/69905677)** > > The Toronto Zoo announced that one of their giraffes, Kiko, who was born at the Greenville Zoo, was killed in a tragic accident on New Year's Day. ---
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2026, 12:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/craig-the-elephant-has-died/1026354/3 "2026-01-05T00:19:02Z")
> [@](#): > > Kiko was sent to the University of Guelph for a full autopsy. That should be a doozy. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2026, 12:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/craig-the-elephant-has-died/1026354/4 "2026-01-05T00:23:41Z")
54 is on the young side for an elephant. I’ve read that the most usual form of “death by old age” for elephants is their teeth wearing out. They only get so many sets of teeth over their lifetime, and their diet wears them down to where they need to be replaced. ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2026, 12:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/craig-the-elephant-has-died/1026354/5 "2026-01-05T00:25:22Z")
Let me be the first nitpicker to claim that “autopsy” refers to a post-mortem partial dissection and skilled examination of a deceased human to determine the details of their death. The corresponding term for non-human decedants is “necropsy”. Kiko will be / was necropsied. ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2026, 12:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/craig-the-elephant-has-died/1026354/6 "2026-01-05T00:29:04Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > I’ve read that the most usual form of “death by old age” for elephants is their teeth wearing out. They only get so many sets of teeth over their lifetime, and their diet wears them down to where they need to be replaced. Same for humans in primitive conditions. With the advent of cooking, extended families, and adequate supplies of calories we can keep great Grandma alive awhile after her teeth go. But only so long. And absent that support death comes both early and surely. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2026, 12:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/craig-the-elephant-has-died/1026354/7 "2026-01-05T00:29:18Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > 54 is on the young side for an elephant. Yeah, I think they usually live into their 60s/70s. I didn’t see any specific cause of death in what I read. We saw a lot of elephants on our safaris, but the park rangers have their hands full keeping poachers out. There are no fences in any of the parks we went to, so migratory animals can roam freely. Elephants don’t really migrate, but they do roam in search of water and food. At least Craig died on his own terms. ---
**Author:** ![Roderick\_Femm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/roderick_femm/32/14875_2.png) [@Roderick\_Femm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Roderick_Femm)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2026, 4:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/craig-the-elephant-has-died/1026354/8 "2026-01-05T04:52:55Z")
I’d like to nitpick your nitpick. Although this distinction may be common usage in some quarters, it is hardly a hard and fast rule. The Greek root for “autopsy” just means to see for oneself. The roots for “necropsy” means to see a dead body. If you have a definite cite I will retire gracefully from the fray. ---
**Author:** ![Happy\_Lendervedder](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/happy_lendervedder/32/8488_2.png) [@Happy\_Lendervedder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Happy_Lendervedder)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2026, 5:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/craig-the-elephant-has-died/1026354/9 "2026-01-05T05:05:38Z")
Just Google “who performs an autopsy on an animal?” You’ll be given results that show that it’s called a _necropsy_, not an autopsy, and a necropsy is performed by a veterinary pathologist. An autopsy is performed by a forensic pathologist and it’s done on humans. ---
**Author:** ![Babale](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/babale/32/15666_2.png) [@Babale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Babale)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2026, 6:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/craig-the-elephant-has-died/1026354/10 "2026-01-05T06:22:16Z")
> [@Happy\_Lendervedder](#): > > You’ll be given results that show that it’s called a _necropsy_, not an autopsy, and a necropsy is performed by a veterinary pathologist. An autopsy is performed by a forensic pathologist and it’s done on humans. What if you suspect that the animal was… Murdered? Dun, dun, DUNNNNN But seriously, who examines am animal if say someone’s pet dies and they call the police because they think that someone killed it? The forensic pathologist doesn’t know animals and the vet doesn’t know signs of foul play? ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2026, 12:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/craig-the-elephant-has-died/1026354/11 "2026-01-05T12:52:33Z")
An interesting contention. And not one I’m equipped to answer authoritatively. I’ll invite @Jackmannii to opine on at least professional usage, if not dictionary reality. This question ought to be right up his alley. ---
**Author:** ![minor7flat5](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/minor7flat5/32/258_2.png) [@minor7flat5](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/minor7flat5)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2026, 2:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/craig-the-elephant-has-died/1026354/12 "2026-01-05T14:01:42Z")
At least in the world of big pharma, necropsy is the word. I had always assumed the first syllable was pronounced like “neck”, but when I first heard it in the wild, pronounced by a woman who worked in the field, she always said it like “knee”. So I guess it’s “knee”. And why would this happen for a person’s pet? They did this with my orange tabby cat during the Pandemic because the week before he died he bit a vet tech (she must have done something to deserve it). Not only did I get a visit from Animal Control for me to sign some paperwork, but they were required by the state to have his brain necropsied to make sure he didn’t have rabies–this was because the bite had happened within 10 days of his death. ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2026, 2:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/craig-the-elephant-has-died/1026354/13 "2026-01-05T14:17:44Z")
So in a sense your cat was a suspect and the necropsy was a way to convict or clear his name. Ref this: > [@minor7flat5](#): > > I had always assumed the first syllable was pronounced like “neck”, but when I first heard it in the wild, pronounced by a woman who worked in the field, she always said it like “knee”. So I guess it’s “knee”. I’ve never heard it pronounced and had assumed “neck” also. Color me surprised about the “knee” pronunciation. Unless your source was English. They pronounce everything funny. Meethane anyone? 😉 Which makes me wonder about other necro- words such as necrotic, necrophilia, necromancy, etc. As Captain Obvious is fond of saying, English is not real big on consistency. But I’d be surprised to learn of much variation in how the necro- part is pronounced, at least among US English speakers. ---
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2026, 2:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/craig-the-elephant-has-died/1026354/14 "2026-01-05T14:29:40Z")
> [@](#): > > The Anatomic Pathology Service provides autopsies (also known as necropsies) and specialized surgical pathology services to all Veterinary Hospitals within the Ohio State University Veterinary Medical System and the public via their referring veterinarian. > [@](#): > > “Veterinary forensics is a growing field, with a lot more to come. I am not sure where it is going, but there is a big group of us taking it somewhere. Stay tuned.” > [@](#): > > Well, we know where we’re goin’ > But we don’t know where we’ve been > And we know what we’re knowin’ > But we can’t say what we’ve seen Two [relevant](https://vmc.vet.osu.edu/services/anatomic-pathology) [links](https://vetmed.illinois.edu/pet-health-columns/veterinary-forensics/). And that’s just the Big Ten. I’ve no idea what veterinary forensic pathologists are paid, but if salaries are anything like what human forensic pathologists typically get, it isn’t much. No amount of money seems sufficient for a veterinary forensic pathologist who does large animal cases. “O.K., Dr. Stein, today you’re scheduled to do post-mortems on two victims of cow-tipping and an elephant that stampeded at the zoo.” “That’s it. I quit!” ---
**Author:** ![Kron](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kron/32/12444_2.png) [@Kron](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kron)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2026, 7:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/craig-the-elephant-has-died/1026354/15 "2026-01-06T07:35:14Z")
> [@LSLGuy](#): > > So in a sense your cat was a suspect and the necropsy was a way to convict or clear his name. > > > > Ref this: > > > [@minor7flat5](#): > > > > I had always assumed the first syllable was pronounced like “neck”, but when I first heard it in the wild, pronounced by a woman who worked in the field, she always said it like “knee”. So I guess it’s “knee”. > > I’ve never heard it pronounced and had assumed “neck” also. Color me surprised about the “knee” pronunciation. Unless your source was English. They pronounce everything funny. Meethane anyone? 😉 > > Which makes me wonder about other necro- words such as necrotic, necrophilia, necromancy, etc. As Captain Obvious is fond of saying, English is not real big on consistency. But I’d be surprised to learn of much variation in how the necro- part is pronounced, at least among US English speakers. For what it’s worth, I’ve heard it pronounced many times, and it was never pronounced with a long-E sound in the first syllable; always more like “NEH-crop-see”. ---
**Author:** ![minor7flat5](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/minor7flat5/32/258_2.png) [@minor7flat5](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/minor7flat5)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2026, 11:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/craig-the-elephant-has-died/1026354/16 "2026-01-06T11:14:01Z")
Here’s what Google’s AI gave me (possibly a total fabrication, of course): > Summary of Pronunciation Variations > > | Region | Phonetic Spelling | IPA | > | --- | --- | --- | > | **General American** | NEK-rop-see | /ˈnɛk rɑːp si/ | > | **Received Pronunciation (UK)** | NEK-rop-see | /ˈnɛkrɒpsi/ | > | **Alternative (UK)** | nuh-KROP-see | /nɪˈkrɒpsi/ | > | **Alternative (US/Professional)** | NEE-krop-see | /ˈniː krɑːp si/ | So I ran into the 4th variant. And it was scientists saying it that way, so it fits. I think in some random setting I’d use the first pronunciation so as to avoid strange looks from everyone who never heard of the other.