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 that I had been dreading for a long time.

One Ton was dead.

In an instant, my world seemed to lose some of its magic.

Big Life’s Co-founder Richard Bonham will be sharing his personal reflections later this week, but in the meantime, Big Life is extremely sad to report the loss of One Ton, a Kenya icon. The beloved ‘super tusker’ elephant died in the Chyulu Hills on Sunday.

We are confident his death was due to natural causes, and that provides some comfort, although we may never know the exact reason. He had simply lain down, and there were no signs of any struggle to stand up again.

One Ton had grown into something of a totem for Big Life, after Richard first met him about 30 years ago. At that time, he was skittish and temperamental, but over the decades being protected by Big Life’s rangers, he became exceptionally trusting of people and vehicles.

After knowing him for so long, the loss of this extraordinary individual will leave a huge hole in our hearts. From the rangers who protected him, to the wider Big Life community, to the guides and guests who saw him near daily, as well as the thousands who tuned in from across the world to watch One Ton on the Ol Donyo waterhole livestream.

We estimate that One Ton was in his fifties, which is old for a male elephant of his size, and we had known that this day would come. However sad his death is, One Ton lived a long life and did not die at the hands of man. As conservationists and those who loved him, we really cannot ask for more than that.

Thank you for spending time with us, old friend. Your inspiration lives on in us all.

📸: Jeremy Goss

This year the Chyulu Hills have taken on a new meaning to their fond description of ‘The Green Hills of Africa’.

In several joint operations, our intelligence team has collaborated with the KWS, The Sheldrick Wildlife Trust, and the Kenya Police to weed out a spate of marijuana cultivation within the Chyulu Hills National Park.

Our intelligence work has resulted in 8 incidents this year, which is already the highest we have recorded since 2018. Two people have been arrested in two cases, with one suspect caught in possession of 108kgs of dried marijuana. Just last week, our informers led KWS and Sheldrick teams to another plantation within the park.

Big Life has been operating in the Amboseli Ecosystem for more than a quarter of a century, and what becomes clear after so many years is that illegal activity often comes in waves. Some years, sandalwood poaching skyrockets, some years it’s bushmeat poaching, this year, there has been a slight uptick in marijuana cultivation.

While trends fluctuate, what remains constant is our presence and determination to protect this ecosystem’s wild spaces.

And that is what is making the difference.

For Corporal Agostino Mutinda, conservation is more than a job: it's a family tradition.

Growing up on the far side of the Chyulu Hills, he watched his father serve as a ranger, protecting wildlife and helping safeguard the landscapes that support local communities. Today, Agostino carries that legacy forward as a Big Life ranger and one of just two certified drone pilots in our aerial response program.

Over the past eight years, he has built a reputation as a dedicated and dependable ranger. In 2024, he completed specialized drone training. As a ranger instructor, he also helps train other rangers. His work often places him on the front lines of human-wildlife coexistence, responding to crop-raiding elephants and guiding them safely away from farms and back into protected habitat. He has also helped locate lost children and supported wildlife rescue operations across the ecosystem.

Agostino's drone flights are contributing to conservation in another important way. Working alongside the Amboseli Trust for Elephants, he helps photograph and identify elephants moving through the ecosystem, expanding our understanding of these remarkable animals and improving how we protect them.

When his workday ends, Agostino returns home to another conservation partnership. His wife is also a ranger, serving at a different outpost, and together they are raising two young boys.

This Father's Day, we're celebrating Agostino and all the fathers who dedicate themselves to protecting both their families and the natural world. Thank you for helping ensure that future generations inherit a landscape where wildlife and communities can continue to thrive together.

📸: Joshua Clay