Today is International Women’s Day, and we would like to recognize the many women who contribute to Big Life’s success. These women are not just wives, mothers, sisters, and friends, they are also rangers, field staff, informers, program officers, educators, fundraisers, scientists, and board directors.

Agnes Sopilal, picture below, has been a Big Life ranger for five years, working in the Olepolos Conservancy near Amboseli National Park. She most enjoys being a ranger because she is able to protect wildlife from being killed. She wants other women to know that, “Ranger work is not for men only. A woman can also do [this work] since you are preserving the beauty of your country and the entire world.”

We are grateful to Agnes, and her conservation colleagues within Big Life and across the world, for their dedication and passion for conserving wildlife and wild lands.

Please join us, along with our partners at The Thin Green Line Foundation, in celebrating female conservationists around the globe.

Sometimes we wish they did. Lions, impressive predators as they are, often wreck havoc in the night, as is their nature.  The local Maasai keep vast numbers of livestock, which are easy prey for big cats like lions, cheetahs, and leopards. As a result, human-predator conflict is a major issue.

Today’s World Wildlife Day theme is 'Big Cats: Predators Under Threat', aiming to raise awareness about the decrease of big cat populations across the world. It’s one of our major program areas at Big Life. Healthy ecosystems rely on apex predators like lions. While they may be challenging for the local human community to coexist with, we’re finding solutions that work.

Last year, across 700,000 acres of Big Life’s area of operation, big cats killed 984 reported livestock, valued at well over $65,000. Fortunately, in collaboration with conservation partners, our predator protection programs (e.g., the Predator Compensation Fund, the Maasai Olympics, and our wildlife rangers) were able to stop ALL retaliatory killings of these cats within that area. As a result, their numbers continue to grow, as evidenced by the seven new lion cubs we have in the Chyulu Hills at the moment.

You may live across the world from Africa, but it is only with your help that Big Life is able to protect lions and all predators within the ecosystem. Please consider celebrating World Wildlife Day by making a lifesaving donation to Big Life. In doing so, you are joining the fight to ensure a future for predators under threat.

Or rather, about the fence. Through your support, the first 50 km of the crop protection fence has been put to the test and so far has exceeded our expectations. In the farming areas now protected, recorded elephant crop-raiding has been reduced by over 90%. The fence is helping to ensure a more peaceful cohabitation of elephants and people - saving local farmers thousands of dollars and saving countless elephants from being speared.

However, more than ever, we need to extend the fence and build in areas that are now seeing an increase in crop raiding. Your support as we begin the next phase of construction, due to begin this quarter, is essential. Thank you, as always, for your ongoing generosity.

On a related note, American television journalist Bill Kurtis (of American Justice and Cold Case Files fame) spent time in Big Life’s area of operation and recently produced a short film on Big Life’s fence initiative.

Check it out:

Big Life Foundation_020818_Master REV from Kurtis Productions on Vimeo.

As it turns out, conservation work isn’t always a thankless job.

Big Life rangers put their lives on the line day in and day out to protect the greater Amboseli ecosystem.  It’s no easy feat, and requires not only courage and determination, but also support and commitments from numerous trusted partners across our area of operation.

One such partner, Kenya Wildlife Service, recently sent us a letter of appreciation, which we’re honored to share with you.

Such an endorsement reminds us how much these partnerships matter, and that our efforts do make a difference.

Thank you, Kenya Wildlife Service, for your ongoing efforts and support over the years. We are proud to collaborate with you on critical conservation initiatives.

And thank you, our supporters from around the world, for making our work possible. We couldn’t do it without you.