The old matriarchs and the calves are the first to die; that’s how it goes with drought and elephants. But this is a happy story of a young elephant that was saved from becoming a statistic, twice.

He first ran into trouble in the Tanzanian part of the Greater Amboseli Ecosystem, called the Enduimet Wildlife Management Area (EWMA). He fell into a man-made well while drinking and was pulled free by a Big Life-supported Enduimet mobile ranger unit.

Once back on his feet he joined a nearby elephant herd, but something was off. There was no joyous reunion between the mother and calf. The Enduimet rangers stayed with the herd to monitor the situation but lost them overnight when the elephants crossed the border into Kenya.

In most places, that would have been the end of it, but not here in Amboseli. We alerted Kenya Wildlife Service and our partners on Olgulului Ranch, which borders Tanzania.

Days later, the Enduimet rangers’ suspicions were proven right. The elephant calf was found lying alone in Amboseli National Park, having lost the energy to keep up with his wrongly-adopted herd. He was barely alive.

Working closely with Kenya Wildlife Service, we alerted always-dependable Sheldrick Wildlife Trust. With the Amboseli vet on another mission, and time running out for the little elephant, SWT scrambled their ‘Sky Vet’ to fly down to Amboseli and airlift the calf to Nairobi.

After a few days of touch and go, we’re happy to report that he is now stable, and is expected to make a full recovery for eventual re-release into the wild.

Amboseli is in the grip of a terrible drought, and more and more elephants and other animals are starting to die. It’s a difficult time, and we are working with our partners to save the animals that we can.

Big Life and Saving the Wild’s honey was a huge hit with everyone who was lucky enough to get their hands on a jar when it was harvested earlier this summer. It sold out within weeks, and demand has been high for more. But the long rains failed, so a second harvest was postponed, and has since proved to be the right call. Even the world’s hardest and tiniest workers need time to rest and recover. And the abundant acacia blooms of last March feel a world away from today's desolate landscape.

Honey is a bee’s insurance policy in times like this. A recent hive inspection showed that many of our bee colonies are strong and have yet to lean into their honey stores. But there are also some weaker colonies in need of an extra boost, so we have provided each apiary with the next best thing to pollen: sugar water.

Hopefully this means that by time the rains return later this fall, we won't have lost any colonies, and can put our efforts back into harvesting more of delicious honey, the sales of which will contribute directly towards scholarships for girls living in the Amboseli ecosystem. These scholarships could well be given to children who were able to attend school because of the emergency school lunches we were able to provide through this drought period, so it makes it even more important that these little striped superstars are also given a helping hand.

This project would not have happened without the support from our partners Saving the Wild and Comvita, who we are collaborating with to help save the wild lands of Amboseli, bridge inequality, and create a chance for more children to achieve an education. All of which is made possible because of our brilliant bees.

Not a bad achievement for a swarm of industrious insects, whom we honor today for Honey Bee Day.

Photo: Josh Clay

Breaking the soil to farm used to be a widespread taboo in Maasai culture, but that changed in 2009. That year, people lost most or all their livestock in one of the worst droughts in memory, and many turned to agriculture for the first time, for both food and income.

As a result, natural habitat was cleared and farming expanded across the ecosystem. Today, many farms are scattered across Greater Amboseli, interrupting migration routes and limiting grazing access in favor of crops like maize and tomatoes. The lesson is that the long-term impacts of droughts can be unexpected and irrevocable.

Fast forward to 2022, and we find ourselves facing another major drought. But this time the stakes are much higher. With land subdivision and privatization happening across the ecosystem, people have a new way to make money quickly: selling their newly issued land titles.

But the short-term gain can turn into a long-term disaster. When people give up their land, they give up the space they need to raise livestock, and for those without another source of income, this paves the way for a new generation of landless Maasai trapped in a cycle of poverty.

This is a complex challenge for a community that relies on large, shared spaces for livestock grazing. In addition to working with the Maasai on their subdivision plans to maintain critical corridors for wildlife and livestock via conservation leases, we are also trying to provide some with a short-term income alternative so that selling their land is not something they become forced to do.  Thanks to generous partners, we are creating temporary jobs for 1400 women. These jobs will not only benefit the environment by helping to pick up litter and clear invasive species, but will also put money in pockets so that families can buy food. 

Land is the most valuable resource in the hands of Maasai communities, and without it, all the wild animals of the ecosystem have nowhere to live. Hopefully programs like this will help both through this difficult time.

Today is World Lion Day, and many organizations will rightly draw attention to the disheartening statistics that accompany the story of Africa’s lions. In Kenya however, there is cause for optimism. According to last year’s National Wildlife Census, more than 2,500 lions still reign over Kenya’s plains, a 25% increase since 2010, and Big Life Foundation is proud to have played a significant part in that revival.

Lions in the Amboseli ecosystem now number upwards of 250, and a substantial proportion of them are living well over the age of 10 (knowledge we have thanks to our partners at Lion Guardians). This is the mark of a healthy population and an increase in tolerance by the Maasai who must frequently deal with the challenges of living alongside them.

It was a very different picture twenty years ago. Lions were almost eradicated from the ecosystem in 2003 when as many as 20 were being killed per year in retaliation for attacking livestock or being speared in traditional Maasai lion hunts.

However, two things happened in the mid-2000s that prevented Amboseli’s lions from becoming extinct: the Predator Compensation Fund was launched, partially compensating local Maasai for the loss of their livestock to all predators, and a few years later, the Maasai Olympics began. Created in collaboration with the Menye Layiok, or Maasai “cultural fathers,” and warrior chiefs, the Maasai Olympics provides an alternative to the long-held tradition of hunting lions as a mark of manhood, bravery, and prestige.  Now, the warriors hunt for medals via sports competition based on traditional warrior skills.

Team selections for this year’s forthcoming Maasai Olympics in December are almost complete.

The Maasai Olympics would not be possible without our generous partners and sponsors including: National Geographic Society’s Big Cats Initiative, the Disney Conservation Fund, Chester Zoo, and Play for Nature / Parc Animalier d'Auvergne. 

Photo: Jeremy Goss