Tolstoy was a giant whose tusks almost reached the ground, which made him the owner of one of the biggest tusks among African elephants. The photo captures the moment, while he is trying to get out of the marsh, near Amboseli National Park. The swollen and aching left front leg was a severe problem. Tolstoy had this leg stabbed with a spear, a few days earlier by a Masai farmer who was chasing an elephant away from his crops. Unfortunately, a few days later, Tolstoy died.