Over the last month, there has been a string of worrying, unexplained elephant deaths in the Amboseli Ecosystem. The first death was recorded on June 25^th, and since then we have recorded 8 deaths in the areas patrolled by Big Life rangers. The Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) has reported a total of 15 deaths, including those in Amboseli National Park.

KWS has taken samples from multiple carcasses to determine the cause of death. We have refrained from any public comment while we waited for the announcement of the laboratory results, which have been reported in the last 24 hours.

Toxicology testing has detected cyanide in the samples, and KWS has concluded that this is the most likely cause of death, pending further testing to determine if the cyanide concentrations were high enough to be lethal (some plant species produce cyanide and so the substance can be present in herbivores at non-lethal levels).

While there is currently much speculation about the source of the toxin, there is no clear evidence of where it came from, or whether it was intentionally introduced or not.

The most recent death was 8 days ago, and so we hope that the threat has now passed. We are monitoring all of the affected areas and elephants extremely closely. We are also working hard with KWS and other partners to identify the source of the toxin.

We will continue to share updates as more information becomes available. Thank you, as always, for your continued support and concern for Amboseli's wildlife.

📸: Jeremy Goss

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.

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.

Constable Daniel Kutata loves elephants.

Spending time with him, it doesn’t take long to see why. His knowledge of their behaviour is extraordinary, and he can even identify some individuals by their footprints.

Daniel’s life is inextricably linked with Amboseli’s elephants. He grew up watching them on his literal doorstep in Namelok, a farming settlement close to Amboseli National Park. This has given him an intimate understanding of the good and the bad sides to coexisting with them.

“Elephants are so clever. They can raid a farm and see the crops are not ripe yet and will come back weeks later exactly when it is time to harvest. This is terrible for farmers, but you have to admire how intelligent they are.”

Since Daniel joined Big Life as a ranger in 2018, he has become of our leading specialists in human-elephant conflict, and he credits his father for guiding his boyhood passion towards a career:

“My dad was a verification officer for Big Life’s Predator Compensation Program, and he would always come home and tell me stories about the wildlife he saw, how his job helps prevent conflict with lions, and the importance of protecting wildlife. I learned that you could earn a living by protecting wildlife.”

Now that he is a father to his own children, “I see it as my duty to pass the message to my kids that we must keep wild land, wild. I don’t want my boys to grow up in a world that only has stories about elephants.”

In the coming weeks, we'll be sharing more of Daniel's story and the work he and his fellow rangers do every day on the front-line of human-elephant conflict. If you'd like a behind-the-scenes look at their work, please consider joining our Ranger Club as a monthly donor.

📸: Joshua Clay