The highlight of the 4th quarter last year was undisputedly Big Life’s supporters stepping up to help us fund our operations. The drought has put pressure on everything from our rangers to our budget, and thanks to you, we started the New Year on confident footing to tackle the challenges in front of us.

Unfortunately, the biggest challenge remains the lingering drought. Despite decent rains in the Chyulu Hills in December, the rest of the ecosystem was not so lucky, and conditions continue to be hard on everyone – human and animal alike.

Most recent counts put the number of drought-related elephant mortalities due in the Amboseli area at over 150. Among these were the youngest and oldest members of the herds that move through our area of operation, which is a bitter pill to swallow.

On the plus side, mortalities to date are not nearly as bad as during the last major drought in 2009. While current circumstances are dire and require all hands on deck, we’re well-positioned now to put meaningful measures into effect to help. We’re continuing our school feeding programs to make sure kids get at least one meal per day. And strategic water and food for animals will continue until we see (fingers crossed) rains early this spring.

Another highlight from the 4th quarter was the return of the Maasai Olympics. If we were worried the games had lost any luster for the local communities in the last four years, we were sorely mistaken. The warrior athletes competed against each other valiantly, and community members turned out to enjoy the games en masse. It provided a spark of joy during an otherwise challenging time. To our sponsors who made the day possible, we thank you.

Thank you to all who support us as we press on into this New Year, resolute to continue protecting the wildlife and wild lands of East Africa for the benefit of all.

Richard Bonham
Executive Chairman & Founder – Big Life Foundation Kenya

 SEE THE FULL 4th QUARTERLY REPORT

Following a Big Life aerial patrol over Eselengei, our Radio Room was notified about an abandoned juvenile elephant that was clearly having difficulty walking. After discussion between the Sheldrick Wildlife Trust (SWT), Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS), and Big Life, it was agreed that the little elephant should be sedated and transported by plane to the SWT orphanage in Nairobi rather than be left to fend for himself. The calf was closely monitored on foot by rangers from Eselengei Conservancy and Big Life, and despite being alone, dehydrated, and injured, the two-and-a-half-year-old calf stood defiantly in a grove of thick thorny scrub, using the last of his internal water reserves to keep cool under a punishingly hot sun. Even after being darted, he remained resilient, until he eventually was drowsy enough to be put on his side and lifted into the back of a ranger vehicle. A Boskovic Air Charter came to pick him up from the Big Life airstrip next to headquarters. After a smooth transfer, the calf arrived without any issues at the orphanage in Nairobi, where he will be treated and properly cared for. The operation was a success, and it is again thanks to the effective cooperation between all three wildlife organizations that this little elephant was spared from a far more uncertain fate. Photos: Josh Clay

View a reel of this rescue on Instagram. 

Almost every day in 2023, the situation reports from Big Life’s Radio Room have included incidents of elephants raiding crops or breaching sections of the 100-kilometer wildlife protection fence. As the drought worsens following December’s pitiful rains, conflicts between humans and wildlife are becoming more regular and more dangerous. 

So, it came as no surprise when Big Life rangers received another call on Monday this week about a bull elephant with a suspected spear wound. It took several days of intense searching to locate him, but he was finally identified on Thursday during a routine foot patrol by Kimana Sanctuary’s Operation Commander, Daniel Popote.

A few phone calls later, and a Sheldrick Wildlife Trust helicopter carrying a vet from KWS was dispatched to help treat him. 

The bull was darted from the air, and once down, it was obvious that his injury was indeed because of a spear, and that it had severed a major vein, causing significant bleeding. Fortunately, it wasn’t long before the vets were able to stem the blood flow, clean and treat the wound, and get the elephant back on his feet within a few minutes.

Big Life is able to react swiftly and effectively thanks to our rangers and incredible field partners, without whom this elephant would still be suffering. Left untreated, he would have likely succumbed to infection and a far worse fate. 

We couldn’t do it without their help, or yours. Thank you for your support and for keeping our rangers in the field and on patrol. 

In January, we had a big bash. More than 700 school students, parents, university graduates, and teachers turned up at Big Life’s headquarters to celebrate the one thing they all have in common: all had received some form of financial support for their education from Big Life. Last year, thanks to the generous supporters of our education program, we were able to invest more than $500,000 USD in local scholarships, teacher salaries, and school infrastructure. This represents a massive investment in the future of the communities in Big Life’s area of operation.

Currently, there are 515 students (334 girls and 178 boys) from 81 schools receiving either one-off or part-time scholarships, as well as 7 teachers having their salaries paid for. In addition, the school feeding program that was rolled out in the second half of last year in response to the drought will continue into 2023, and it couldn’t come at a more critical time. By funding teachers’ salaries, providing scholarships for local students, and implementing conservation-specific curriculum in classrooms, Big Life hopes to ensure a better future for the people in this special ecosystem, and they have wildlife to thank.

Thank you to our individual and institutional donors for their ongoing and generous support of our education and scholarship program.

Photos: Jackline Meyian