Things are getting harder by the day here in Amboseli, and we are seeing the impact of the drought on more and more animals. Some have laid down and are too weak to stand again.

Such was the case with this young zebra, found by Big Life rangers on patrol in the Kimana Sanctuary. The zebra’s family watched from a distance as a ranger helped it back to its feet, after which it slowly walked to rejoin its mother.

With two months to go until the next anticipated rains, animals across the Amboseli ecosystem remain at risk of dying from starvation or thirst. Although incredibly hard to witness, this is part of the natural boom and bust dynamics that are characteristic of semi-arid savanna ecosystems.

Zebras, wildebeests, and others are succumbing to the worsening conditions. As the situation becomes more severe, our rangers are working overtime to help struggling animals when possible, while also tackling a notable increase in bushmeat poaching attempts. As resources become scarce, everyone struggles, human and wildlife alike.

We’ve implemented some emergency programs for the local Maasai people – including a school feeding program and a community work program – and are actively assessing what we can do for wildlife in terms of food and water.

As always, the Big Life rangers will do everything that they can to help.

It is an extremely difficult time for all, and we truly appreciate your messages of support.

A lot of students around the world are returning to school this week after summer break, but there’s one who won’t be, and that’s a good thing. And it’s because we recently celebrated the graduation of one of Big Life Foundation’s scholarship recipients from Mount Kenya University: Keen Munyei.

Rewind 12 years ago to the summer of 2010. The pupils of Class 8 at Shilishili Primary School on Mbirikani Group Ranch were the first in the area to take the Kenya Certificate of Primary Education (KCPE), and one of them was a bright young kid named Keen who finished top of his class.

Big Life funds scholarships for the best and brightest girls and boys in the region and so Keen was granted one to study at Oloitokitok Boy’s Secondary School. He continued to excel, earning a place at Mount Kenya University to take a Diploma in Business Information Technology in 2015 and then a started a degree there in 2018. Big Life helped to fund each stage of Keen’s education, and after a year’s delay because of Covid, he was finally able to attend his graduation ceremony.

Outside of the classroom, Keen’s interest was piqued by the organization that had helped him so much and he applied for an internship at Big Life in 2021. Because of his abilities, Keen was formally taken on in Big Life’s IT department at the beginning of 2022.

Says Keen, “Right now, Big Life is everything to me. Through all the paths of life that I have taken, I have been supported every step of the way by them, so I am very happy to be a part of this excellent organisation.”

We are delighted to have him as part of the team and proud of all he has achieved so far. Hongera Keen!

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