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Big Life Foundation

@biglifeafrica

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Partnering with local communities to protect iconic species and conserve habitat in the Greater Amboseli Ecosystem.
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EYES IN THE SKY, PEACE ON THE GROUND A lioness with young cubs had been preying on livestock, breaking repeatedly into homesteads. With tensions reaching a boiling point, it was only a matter of time before tragedy struck. It’s a duel that has played out for generations: human versus lion. Except this time, there is a third player: a thermal drone. Orbili is a remote settlement at the base of the Chyulu Hills and has always been a hotspot for conflict. For the Maasai communities living here, livestock is their primary source of wealth, so the loss of even a single cow, sheep, or goat has a significant financial and emotional impact. A Big Life mobile unit had been working closely with @lionguardians_ to keep the lioness out of the settlement, but it was proving impossible in the dark. When they went one way, she went the other. Our drone unit was called in to assist and the results were immediate. With the ability to spot her in the dark from above it took just two flights to chase this lioness away. Her cubs have since grown enough that she has rejoined her pride and is no longer a threat to the community at Orbili. Our thermal drones have completely revolutionized our ability to safely respond to incidents and have become an indispensable part of our operations. In the hands of our skilled pilots, they are proving to be game changers in keeping the peace between people and wildlife. 📹: @jjkclay #lion #wildlife #thermaldrone #kenya #conservation
8
a day ago
A GRIEF ENCOUNTER? It’s been heartwarming to read the many tributes to One Ton, and it appears that it’s not just humans that have paid their respects. This remarkable video by @rideoldonyo shows an inquisitive bull elephant taking time to gently smell and touch One Ton’s carcass, and the volume of elephant droppings around his body suggest this hasn’t been the only visitor. Elephants preferentially seek out elephant bones compared to other animal remains, smelling them, moving them, even putting them in their mouths. There have been countless observations of elephants standing over other elephant bodies, even placing branches or grass on them. What is more intriguing is that they do this regardless of whether the dead elephant is a relative or known to them. It’s a behaviour that touches the core of us as humans. To see such profound reactions to death in another species deepens the affinity we have for these remarkable mammals, and it’s no stretch to believe they are expressing a form of grief. It’s possible that because of the intensity and longevity of elephant relationships, they might experience a strong sense of compassion for a dead elephant they didn’t know. Or perhaps they inspect all carcasses in a bid to find out how the elephant died, demonstrating a level of curiosity we would typically associate with humans. The truth is we simply don’t know what is taking place in their enormous brains, and we might never know. What we do know is that One Ton’s carcass will deposit an avalanche of nutrients into the soil in a final gift to this landscape. It will become a micro-ecosystem, supporting millions of insects in the short term and hundreds of grazing animals in the long term. A lasting legacy from an extraordinary being. #elephant #wildlife #kenya #oneton
48
3 days ago
AGE-MATES WITH A SUPER TUSKER At just 36 years old, Tee-Jay is considered by many to be the crown prince of Amboseli. While he is impressive in his own right, Tee-Jay is also descended from greatness. As a member of the illustrious T family, his uncle was Tim, his great-uncle was Tolstoy, and his aunts and great-aunts were Theodora and Teresia. Not only have his family members consistently had some of the longest tusks, but they have always had a firm presence in either Amboseli National Park or Kimana Sanctuary. Tee-Jay is just a few years older than Big Life Ranger, Constable Daniel Kutata. In Maasai society, this would mean they are part of the same age set, sharing a spiritual bond for life as brothers and equals. The significance is not lost on Daniel, who has protected and cared for Tee-Jay’s relatives during their lives and even in their last moments. Now that the previous generation has passed, it is fast becoming Tee-Jay and Daniel’s time to step into some very big footsteps. If all goes well, both of them will be right here in Amboseli doing exactly the same thing, 15 years from now! None of this information would exist without @amboseli_trust, who for more than 50 years have documented the lives and losses of this remarkable elephant population. We’re grateful to have them as partners in protecting Amboseli’s elephants. Ensuring elephants like Tee-Jay remain part of Amboseli’s future also depends on rangers being in the field every day. In honor of World Ranger Day on July 31, we’re hoping to reach 50 new or increased Ranger Club memberships during July. Everyone who joins the Ranger Club as a new monthly donor—or increases their current monthly gift—during July will be entered into a drawing to receive a One Ton elephant poster. The poster honors the legacy of one of Amboseli’s iconic super tuskers, protected by Big Life’s rangers throughout his life. Join the Ranger Club: https://give.biglife.org/-/XGRLGXPB 📹: @jjkclay #RangerClub #Conservation #Wildlife #Community #Kenya
15
5 days ago
THROUGH DANIEL'S LENS 📸 When he's not tracking elephants or responding to wildlife emergencies, Constable Daniel Kutata always has an eye out for the little moments that make the Greater Amboseli Ecosystem so special. Here are a few of his favorite photos from patrol. Which one is your favorite? These moments are also a reminder of what Daniel and his fellow rangers work to protect every day. By joining the Ranger Club, you provide dependable monthly support that helps keep rangers in the field, respond when wildlife and communities need help, and safeguard the remarkable Greater Amboseli ecosystem throughout the year. Join the Ranger Club: https://give.biglife.org/-/XGRLGXPB 📹: @jjkclay #RangerClub #BigLifeFoundation #Conservation #Kenya #Amboseli #Elephants #WildlifePhotography
18
6 days ago
For Constable Daniel Kutata, protecting the Greater Amboseli Ecosystem means protecting his home. Daniel was born and raised near Kimana Sanctuary, where his family still lives today. Here he shares why this landscape means so much to him, and why dependable monthly support matters to him and his fellow rangers protecting it. Monthly donors through our Ranger Club help keep patrols moving, support rapid responses when wildlife and communities need help, and give rangers the resources they depend on throughout the year. Before World Ranger Day on July 31, we hope to welcome 50 new or increased monthly gifts. By giving monthly, you help provide that protection month after month. It costs just $17 to protect an elephant for a single day, but any amount makes a huge impact! Join Daniel and Big Life’s rangers in our mission to protect Greater Amboseli. Link in Bio. 📹: @jjkclay #WorldRangerDay #SupportRangers #ProtectElephants #GreaterAmboseli #BigLifeFoundation
17
8 days ago
SNARED GIRAFFE RESCUED What do you see when you look at a giraffe? Grace personified? A wonder of evolution? A symbol of Africa’s wild places? Sadly, not everyone sees them that way. As the dry season takes hold, wildlife is pushed closer to human settlements in search of water, just as seasonal income from farming dries up. For a small minority of people, that pressure can make bushmeat poaching seem like an option. But far more people in this ecosystem choose a different path. When a community member spotted this giraffe walking with a snare around its neck, they immediately called Big Life's Radio Room. Our rangers responded and contacted the @kenyawildlifeservice (KWS) vet. Because the report came late in the day, the veterinary team could only reach the site the following morning. In the past, keeping track of the animal overnight would have been a major challenge. Today, our thermal drones allow us to monitor wildlife safely through the night, ensuring the giraffe remained within reach until first light. The following morning, the KWS SWT-funded vet successfully darted the giraffe, removed the snare, administered treatment, and then watched as it got back to its feet and disappeared into the bush. Bushmeat poaching will always be a threat to wildlife in Amboseli, but in this case the combination of our ranger teams, community relationships, cutting-edge technology, and partnerships played a vital role in giving this giraffe a second chance. Responses like this depend on sustained support long before a call comes in. Ranger Club members help ensure our rangers, radios, vehicles, and conservation technology are ready when wildlife needs them most. Help us reach 50 new or increased members by World Ranger Day and stand with the rangers protecting wildlife every day. Join the Ranger Club today. Link in Bio. 🎥: @jjkclay #giraffe #girafferescue #wildliferescue #kenya @kenyawildlifeservice @sheldricktrust
20
11 days ago
FAREWELL, OLD FRIEND Through my 40-year career in conservation, I’ve had many days turned on their head by a phone call, but this was the one I had long dreaded. One Ton was dead. In an instant, my world seemed to lose some of its magic. I had known One Ton for 30 years. My three children all grew up with him, and I watched him gradually give us his trust as ours in him grew. He was one of the first elephants to decide that our family swimming pool was actually a watering hole, and who were we to deny him? I watched his tusks grow, then break in fights and regrow. It was those enormous tusks that eventually put him in the small and treasured group of Africa’s living supertuskers, but there so was much more to this elephant than his tusks. He was an inspirational presence. When I was down, feeling like there was no way through some conservation challenge, One Ton seemed to have this knack of appearing out of the forest as if to remind me what we work so hard to protect. I believe that connection went both ways. He came to us twice with what would have been fatal wounds, and I am certain he came looking for help. Both times, we coordinated with the @sheldricktrust and @kenyawildlifeservice vet teams to respond and treat him. Over the years, he became an icon and a source of wonder to everyone lucky enough to meet him and experience his gentle yet overwhelming presence. The Maasai he lived alongside called him ‘Mpole’ (pronounced ‘mm-POH-lay’), or ‘Gentle One,’ because they never had to worry when he came close to their village, as he was so calm. Through the sadness, we must remember he was lucky. He lived carefree, and thanks to Big Life rangers - his guardians for decades - he never had to run in fear from poachers’ bullets. Thank you for the heartfelt messages and to everyone who contributed to Big Life and helped steward One Ton through his long, special life. Together, we will honor his legacy by continuing to protect this magical place he called home. How privileged we were to have known him, and what a friend to lose. With gratitude for all who helped protect him, Richard Bonham Co-Founder & Executive Chairman Big Life Kenya
425
18 days ago
CONSERVATION STARTS AT HOME Conservation succeeds when it is rooted in the communities that share the landscape with wildlife. That means creating opportunities for local communities not just to benefit from conservation, but to lead it. Across the Greater Amboseli Ecosystem, Big Life's female rangers are doing exactly that. They patrol wildlife corridors, respond to emergencies, protect their communities, and serve as powerful role models for the next generation. For Constable Faith Ntooki, conservation is a family legacy. "My father was a ranger, and I am proud to continue his legacy. My son Leshao is only three years old, but I wish he would become a vet, because he loves animals and the idea of him helping the wildlife I protect would make me so happy." The same sense of pride inspires Constable Ann Nairoshi. "Whenever I come home, my son Gerishon always wants to put my boots on and pretend he is helping protect wildlife. He's seven years old now, and always tells me he wants to become a ranger like me when he grows up." These moments matter. When children grow up seeing their mothers protecting wildlife, they learn that conservation is not something done by outsiders but something that begins at home. This same photograph appears on the cover of our annual impact report because it reflects the strength, leadership, and family ties that carry conservation forward. Constable Susan Kasoni captures that spirit perfectly: "The work of a ranger is physically difficult and requires long periods away from family. But I am also now able to support my family, as well as protect the landscape I grew up in. Because of that I have earned the respect of my community. So I am proud to call myself a ranger." This World Female Ranger Week, we celebrate the women helping build a future where nature thrives and communities prosper—one family, one child, and one generation at a time. Photo (left to right): Constables Faith Ntooki, Grazilla Sunde, Veronicah Lanoi, Susan Kasoni (with son Ismail), Ann Nairoshi, and Veronicah Nkaaiyo. 📸: @jjkclay #WorldFemaleRangerWeek
14
a month ago
Few things feel more quintessentially East African than a sundowner shared with friends, but nothing beats one shared with elephants. This World Gin Day, we’re raising a glass to our friends at @elephantgin, whose support helps protect elephants and the wild landscapes they call home. Here’s to conservation, community, and keeping Greater Amboseli wild for generations to come! Maisha marefu! 🐘🍸 #WorldGinDay #Elephants #ElephantGin #Kenya
3
a month ago
Learning to use a trunk is harder than it looks. One minute it’s a straw, the next it’s a shower, a snack-grabber, a toy, or something to trip over entirely. For a young elephant, mastering this remarkable tool takes years of practice - and plenty of trial and error. Luckily, this little one seems committed to the learning process! Last year, more than 200 elephants were born to Amboseli’s elephant herds, a true baby boom. This is thanks in part to plentiful rains, but also proactive protection by rangers and collaborative efforts with the local community to protect habitat areas like the ones this little one relies on. 📹: @jjkclay #Elephant #Amboseli #BabyElephant #WildlifeWonder #BigLifeFoundation
59
2 months ago
You are looking at the world’s most abundant wild bird: the red-billed quelea. Over the past few weeks, these feathered locusts have laid siege to the plains across Greater Amboseli, after plentiful rains created a lush paradise for this nomadic species. Quelea live life in the fast lane. They have one of the shortest breeding cycles of any bird with an incubation period lasting as little as nine days, and they fledge after just two weeks. This allows them to grow their populations rapidly in response to availability of their main food source - grass seed - as their unending search for it takes them across Africa’s savannah landscapes. Their arrival is a great indicator that there is plentiful grazing for the ecosystem’s livestock and wildlife. Much of the grasslands quelea rely on have been converted to agriculture. Africa still has many wild spaces, but they are being rapidly developed, and loss of habitat threatens the red-billed quelea as much as the far more iconic species we help to protect, like elephants and giraffes. Here in Amboseli we are working to protect critical areas of natural habitat. Conservation leases have secured more than 120,000 acres in partnership with local landowners, protecting the grasses and the space necessary for wildlife and livestock to continue moving freely across the ecosystem. We can’t do it without you. Thank you for your support. 📹: @jjkclay #birds #FFF #conservation #amboseli #nature
3
2 months ago
CELEBRATING THE GREEN SEASON As the emerald grass plains begin their slow transformation to dry-season gold, the pulse of life is still palpable across Greater Amboseli. We’re coming to the end of a bumper rainy season, and it’s has been thrilling to experience the ecosystem at its bountiful best. Seasonal wetlands that we protect outside of Amboseli National Park have hosted elephant herds more than 100 strong, coming together to mate, reaffirm family bonds, and make the most of the plentiful grazing. Flocks of queleas and weavers have swarmed the skies above them, moving as one in mesmerizing murmurations. Butterflies still fill the daytime air, replaced in the evening by insect symphonies of churring and buzzing. Freed from their seasonal dependence on Amboseli’s permanent swamps, zebras, wildebeest, and other grazers have spread far and wide to take advantage of the rich grazing. It’s important to savor these times. The memories of the 2022 drought are still fresh and in the face of increasing climatic unpredictability, healthy natural ecosystems are the key to resilience. By protecting wildlife, and partnering with local landowners to keep this landscape open and connected, we are helping ensure that these natural spectacles endure - sustaining not only elephants and migratory herds, but also the people whose lives are deeply tied to this land. 📹: @jjkclay #rain #rainyseason #kenya #waterislife #amboseli
3
2 months ago
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