Big Life Foundation

WHEN GREEN TURNS BLACK It is counterintuitive to have negative consequences following good rains. But what was a blessing at the beginning of 2024 became a ticking time bomb by mid-September. Because good rains result in long grass, and long grass becomes bonfire material by the peak of the dry season. Fires are part of the natural cycle of the Chyulu Hills. If managed properly, they can be beneficial, and many of the plant and tree species that thrive here are fire-resistant. However, fires that are too frequent and too strong can be harmful to this landscape. When our teams received word of an enormous line of flames rising from the farms to the east of the hills, it required rapid attention. In this remote region, rangers are the first and only defense against such fires. More than 60 Big Life rangers and 3 aircraft, along with teams from the Maasai Wilderness Conservation Trust / Fund, the Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS), and The Sheldrick Wildlife Trust, worked day and night to stop the blaze. Funds from the Chyulu Hills REDD+ Carbon Project were used to secure an Air Tractor in the past year, a plane capable of dropping more than 1,000 gallons of water at a time, which made a huge difference in controlling the fire. This one fire burned an estimated 12,000 acres. If it wasn’t for the dedicated combined efforts of our rangers, the teams from our conservation partners, and the new aircraft, the damage would have been a lot worse. Two weeks later, and green shoots have already started to appear across the blackened hillsides, highlighting the resilience of this ecosystem, and offering a sense of hope as we look once more to the beginning of the cycle and the start of the rains. 📽: Joshua Clay #firefighter #fire #conservation #reddproject #chyuluhills #kenya #biglife #rangers

From the Radio Room to the canteen, to the mechanic’s garage, and out to the bush where our rangers patrol, we’ve got some of the best smiles around. Our team is dedicated and serious, but they also love what they do, and it shows. Our conservation successes would not be possible without their positive attitudes. Hopefully their smiles bring one to your face today. #WorldSmileDay 📸: Joshua Clay

Check out the latest deep dive into the challenges facing tusker elephants like Craig, in Le Figaro recently by Vincent Jolly and Brent Stirton. The feature covers everything from Tanzania’s shift in policy on hunting, to human-elephant conflict mitigation, and the urgent need to protect habitat, and what organizations like Big Life are doing to help. https://lnkd.in/gRhjWkHV #inthenews #elephants #conservation

CRACKING DOWN ON BUSHMEAT POACHERS As the peak of the dry season grips the Greater Amboseli ecosystem, it’s not just the heat that’s intensifying—so too are the threats to wildlife. As often happens at this time of year, we’ve seen a surge in bushmeat poaching, putting our rangers on heightened alert. In the first six months of the year, Big Life’s teams arrested 8 suspects in 5 incidents, for killing 13 large mammals for bushmeat. But in just the last 2 months the rates have increased significantly: 12 arrests in 6 cases, and 14 animals poached. Giraffes, with their immense size, are a favored target. Poachers set snares, or use powerful torches to stun them at night, while a second individual slashes the tendons in their legs with a machete—a brutally painful way for any animal to die. Rangers are doing everything they can to control the situation, leveraging their community informer networks, and setting night-time ambushes in poaching hotspot areas. Every arrest sends a clear message: poaching in Amboseli is a risky business. Despite this seasonal increase, bushmeat poaching in Amboseli is still relatively low, thanks in large part to the vigilance and hard work of Big Life’s rangers. We hate to think how many animals would be dying without them. 📸: Joshua Clay

Congratulations to our Wildlife Ranger Challenge Team! A sunless dawn is often greeted with disappointment for most visitors to Amboseli, but for our team competing in this year’s Wildlife Ranger Challenge, it was a welcome omen. A daunting path lay ahead of them: a straight 21km dirt road that seemed to stretch for eternity. One they would have to cover in boots and uniform while carrying 22kg backpacks. The image of five men struggling through such vast terrain may seem like a lonely one, but they were doing it at the same time as more than 400 male and female rangers across 24 African countries. Our rangers completed the race in a very impressive 2 hours 40 minutes, spurred on by a crowd of Big Life supporters, including our tracker dogs: Holmes, Watson, and Clyde. We are very proud of our team and the hundreds of rangers who took part in the challenge. Coordinated by our longstanding partners Tusk, the Wildlife Ranger Challenge has raised more than $16 million since 2017. Today is the last day to donate, so please head to: https://lnkd.in/g2-SwzYn #ForWildlifeRangers 📹 : Joshua Clay

FOLLOW THE ELEPHANTS They know the best routes across a landscape, and their repeated journeys carve well-worn paths through any terrain. These ‘elephant highways’ are used by all animals, humans included, and it is said that many of the original roads constructed in Africa followed these ancient paths. Thanks to the USAID -funded ‘Sustainable Management of Amboseli and Tsavo Landscapes Project’, a new road will soon allow visitors to follow in the footsteps of elephants, through the ALOCA community conservancies that protect the Kimana Corridor. The road connects to Kimana Sanctuary and will provide a much more direct (and scenic) route to Amboseli National Park for guests staying at Angama Amboseli, one of Big Life’s tourism partners located there. Conservancy access fees paid by users of the route will support conservation projects in ALOCA and provide income for landowners. This also incentivizes people to keep land natural and open for wildlife. There are almost too many wins to count. It’s an exciting time as Big Life and others support the development of community conservancies in Amboseli, including through construction of roads and other foundational infrastructure. This is being done in a controlled way, to avoid the ‘over-tourism’ plaguing some of Kenya’s other famous destinations, to ensure that tourism continues to provide the maximum benefit for wildlife conservation AND local communities. It’s just one way we can make sure that hundreds of years from now, there will still be elephants to follow through the bush. 📸 : Jeremy Goss & Joshua Clay #elephant #elephants #conservation #community #tourism #kenya #amboseli #worldtourismday #WTD2024

EXPLODING KITTENS An untrained eye would easily overlook them. At the height of the dry season these fawn-colored lion cubs blend in perfectly, helping to keep them safe from predators. The White Rock Pride has seen an explosion of cubs recently, a prolific rebound following some difficult years, and the loss of a number of individuals to human-wildlife conflicts. The core of this pride, on Mbirikani Group Ranch, now boasts 5 lionesses and 10 cubs – 6 older and 4 still very small. Twenty years ago, this lion population was on the verge of local extinction. Thanks to the concerted efforts of our conservation partners and funders, and the participation of local communities, lions across Greater Amboseli are once again at healthy population levels. Our Predator Compensation Fund prevent retaliations against them for depredation of livestock; programs like our upcoming Maasai Olympics have helped to shift Maasai culture from killing to conservation. This is an explosion of kittens worth celebrating. Thank you all for making it possible. 📸: Jeremy Goss #lion #cubs #explodingkittens #predator #amboseli #maasaiolympics #pcf #kenya #wildlife #conservation #endangeredspecies

THE KING OF THE LABYRINTH A wall of vegetation looms, brandishing thorny branches that reach out to shred your clothing. Winding elephant paths offer some way through the maze, but the ground is ancient lava, sharply cutting into the soles of your shoes. Fix your eyes on the ground to avoid twisting an ankle, and by the time you look up again, the dense bush has swallowed you whole, eroding all sense of time or direction. It is no surprise then, that the lava forests of the Chyulu Hills are the hideout of a remarkable population of critically endangered Eastern black rhinos. From a historic population of thousands in the region, today only 8 remain. The King of this Labyrinth is Dickson. Pictured here, he is estimated to be between 30 and 35 years old, older than many of the Big Life rangers that are protecting him. He is named after one of the four rangers that were the start of Big Life’s anti-poaching program more than three decades ago. Dickson has been doing his own bit to protect his fellow rhinos. He is very likely the father of the rhino calf that we reported was born a year ago. Thanks to recent sightings of tracks, and blurry camera trap evidence, we know that calf is still alive and well, hidden away in the labyrinth with his mother. Today on World Rhino Day, we want to thank all those who support our rhino program, particularly the Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS), U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS), and Chester Zoo, as well as Royal African Safaris. #worldrhinoday #rhino #endangered #wildlife #animals #chyuluhills #eastafrica #kenya #conservation

Are you a federal employee or retiree? If so, you have a unique opportunity to make a significant impact for Big Life Foundation through the Combined Federal Campaign (CFC), which runs from September 2, 2024 to January 15, 2025. The CFC is the official workplace giving campaign for federal employees and retirees, and has raised nearly $8.7 billion for charities since its inception. By choosing to support Big Life through the CFC, you are directly contributing to the protection of East African wildlife and wild lands, including one of the last great populations of elephants in the region. Your contribution helps create a world where conservation benefits people and people support conservation. Thank you for considering Big Life in your CFC giving plans. Big Life Foundation’s CFC code: 85179 https://lnkd.in/gXxmceHU 📸: Jeremy Goss #CFC #FederalEmployees #Retirees #CFC2024 #CFC2025 #WildlifeConservation #elephants #lions #giraffe #rhino

Recently, a lion was spotted with a snare around its neck. This troubling discovery was brought to our attention by a webcam at Ol Donyo Lodge and set off a rapid response from Big Life rangers and our partners at Lion Guardians to locate the lion while reinforcements were called in to help. The SWT-funded KWS veterinary team responded immediately. The lion was sedated, the snare was removed, and the wound treated, which luckily, was not too severe. The lion was awoken and he rejoined his pride, which was patiently waiting nearby. This lion is incredibly lucky that the waterhole he picked is extremely well-monitored. This incident underscores the importance of collaborative efforts between conservation organizations and local communities, including local lodges. Sheldrick Wildlife Trust, Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS), Lion Guardians US , Ol Donyo lodge staff (Great Plains Conservation), and Big Life’s dedicated rangers are all committed to protecting wildlife. We are grateful to them, and you, for making rescue operations like this one successful. 🎥: Joshua Clay #lion #desnare #wildliferescue #animals #kenya #conservation #africa #eastafrica #endangeredspecies