No one likes to be a stranger. In the wrong neighborhood, it can be downright dangerous, particularly if you’re a male lion.

Lions are highly social cats, with strong bonds that span multiple generations in a single pride. It’s a cozy family picture until young males start to mature at 2-3 years, at which point life takes an unpleasant turn for them. Dad senses the increasing testosterone levels and kicks them not just out of the pride, but out of the territory entirely.

These young lions either end up alone or in small bachelor groups, trying to hunt for themselves and avoiding the territories of other dominant males. They often resort to killing livestock (much easier than wild prey), and in so doing come into conflict with human communities. Few survive this period, but the ones that do are important.

Sarng'ab (which means mud in Maasai, named by Lion Guardians after a particularly wet search for him) pictured here is one of the survivors. He was born on the western side of Amboseli National Park almost 6 years ago, but the Lion Guardians have since identified him in the Kimana Sanctuary, and more recently from this photo which was taken 70 km from where he grew up.

He was with a lioness at the time, and has perhaps found some space and an opportunity to build a pride of his own. He won’t know it, but Big Life is working to protect him from human threats as he moves, through the efforts of our community rangers and Predator Compensation Fund (PCF), which softened the economic loss for the owners of the cows that he killed.

Two decades ago, the Amboseli lion population was headed for local extinction, and in response Big Life worked with local community leaders to engineer the solution: PCF. The lion killing stopped almost immediately after starting the program, and it’s been a stunning turnaround since then. Our partners at Lion Guardians have monitored a dramatic increase in the Amboseli lion population density to more than seven times what it was 15 years ago.

It’s a demonstration that community-focused conservation solutions can create space for one of Africa’s most threatened and iconic species.

Could you ask for better news on World Lion Day? 

Photo: Jeremy Goss

It is now months into the COVID-19 global pandemic, and in Big Life’s area of operation, the fight against the invisible enemy remains in battle mode. Since March, Kenya has had a hardline response to COVID-19, closing schools, putting families in lockdown, and enacting curfews and strict restrictions on travel. The tourism industry, as well as many others, have ground to a halt while reports of new infections and deaths are still on the rise. Kenya has just exceeded 20,000 confirmed cases. As of this writing, 8,165 have recovered and 341 have died.

Back in April, we reported that our established network of 34 Community Health Volunteers (CHVs) were reaching out to communities in our area of operation, educating people on how the virus spreads, how to prevent it, and why staying home is so essential. These volunteers are a trusted resource, who typically work in the community to distribute information about many important health issues, such as family planning.

This work still continues and is as important as ever. Our CHVs have made 5,273 household visits reaching 18,306 people with vital COVID-19 and family planning information in the past 3 months. In addition, Big Life set up a series of 9 meetings with local chiefs, pastors and community leaders. The meetings were kept to limited participants and social distancing was enforced. Information about COVID-19, the means of transmission, symptoms, and prevention measures were discussed in detail. We are also providing Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), hand soap, and sanitizer for the CHVs and the 9 dispensaries across Mbirikani, Rombo, and Eselengei group ranches on a monthly basis. The nurses and community members alike have received this support with immense gratitude.

Local testing is minimal, so the virus is not yet affecting the community here in a tangible way. There have been 30 confirmed cases in Loitokitok, otherwise, local numbers are somewhat a guess.

As we look to brighter days, we thank our supporters, CHASE Africa, the Leila and Mickey Straus Family Foundation, and Health Yetu Foundation, as well as all our donors worldwide during this challenging time.

Photo: Jeremy Goss

It never ceases to amaze me how quickly people can adapt to changing conditions in a crisis. There are some traditions in Maasailand that I thought might be tough to change. And yet, just last week, I attended a meeting that was held out in the bush, in the shade of the 206 wing with folding chairs. My guests all sat 2 meters apart and we did not shake hands. It felt somewhat strange but in other ways, totally normal. Life moves on.

We’re still getting to grips with the impact on our diverse programs. You’ll see in our 2nd Quarterly Report that some programs are more heavily impacted than others. The courts aren’t in session, so our prosecutions work is paused. Tourism is obviously down as people quarantine at home, so paying visitors to Kimana Sanctuary is also down. Construction projects are on hold. Schools are not in session, although we are continuing to pay the teachers we support. Mobile clinics, which bring community members together, are on hold until it is safe to gather again.

But our rangers, able to isolate at their outposts, are continuing their critical work. In the 2nd quarter, 67 snares were found and destroyed. 16 suspects were arrested, for either bushmeat poaching or trophy possession. 520 kg of bushmeat was recovered.

The challenges created by COVID were offset slightly by an abundance of rains last quarter, which kept the land lush and helped minimize conflict. But as we shift into the dry season, bush fires are becoming a huge threat. As I write, Big Life, Sheldrick Wildlife Trust, and KWS rangers are fighting a bush fire in the Chyulu Hills National Park, and an even bigger fire fanned by strong winds is moving across Tsavo West National Park. These are testing times for all of us.

As we have proven time and time again, Big Life’s rangers are up to the challenge.

Thank you all so much for making our work possible.

Richard Bonham
Director of Operations, Big Life Kenya

SEE THE FULL 2ND QUARTERLY REPORT

Popote Sapulai

Age: 37 years

Home: Kimana

Rank/ Position: Operational Commander

Team: Kimana Sanctuary

When did you join Big Life? 2018

How did your journey in Wildlife Security begin? As a young boy, I herded my father’s livestock close to the Amboseli National Park, and this put me in the front row to witness the Kenya Wildlife Service at work. I admired their bravery, and since then I had wanted to be a ranger. It was fascinating to me as a child to see people from other areas risking their lives to conserve wildlife, and I always wondered why our cultural warriors were not part of them, because I believed our community’s wildlife was our responsibility, so we should also take part in protecting them.

In 2003, my journey as a ranger started with another organization and now as another decade comes to an end, my journey has not been easy. I remember I once worked for two years as a ranger without a single pay and had to sell my livestock to get monthly food rations. That’s how much devotion and passion I have for my job.

How has conservation changed or transformed since you started? When we started, poaching was very high and we were very poorly equipped and not legally empowered to successfully apprehend or convict poachers. Human-elephant conflict was not very high, because at the time there were not so many farms close to the Sanctuary, but lion conflict was very high as warriors would retaliate and kill lions when they killed livestock.

In the past, the community was getting very little benefit from wildlife, and at times that benefit ended up in the hands of a selected few. When a lion would kill your cow, there was no compensation and retaliation was the only available option. 

Over the years, a lot has changed. Benefits generated from wildlife to the community have turned the hearts of the community towards wildlife, improving the relationship between the two iconic parts of the Amboseli Ecosystem.

The owners of the Kimana Sanctuary used to earn very little from the lease of the land in which this Sanctuary is formed, and many community members attempted to pull out and sell their land. Today, the leases from the Sanctuary has quadrupled and the community has seen the importance of wildlife. 

Our wildlife security operations have also improved tremendously. We are better equipped, well trained and wildlife legislation such as the Wildlife Act of 2013 has vindicated our efforts and made our results visible.

What does your job as an operational commander involve? I am in charge of 37 rangers spread across five ranger outposts strategically placed in the Kimana Sanctuary. I am responsible for their well-being, handle any conflicts among them, and ensure that they uphold the highest level of discipline.  Moreover, I oversee all operations undertaken by the team and involve myself with their daily routines.

What challenge do you face in your line of work?  Most of the time, we find ourselves between angry community members seeking compensation or revenge, and protecting a predator or an elephant that is responsible for the conflict. Illegal grazing is not allowed in the Sanctuary, so during prolonged droughts keeping livestock off the sanctuary is hard, especially when the livestock belongs to relatives. 

How have you benefited working for Big Life? I am a father of six kids and two wives, so my job has ensured that I put food on the table and my kids access education.

Photo: Bobby Neptune

 Big Life rangers face extremely difficult challenges on a daily basis, which have only increased amidst a global pandemic. Keeping our rangers properly funded to continue their vital work in the field is more important than ever for the future of the wildlife, wild lands, and people of East Africa. Please consider a monthly contribution to our Ranger Club to support these dedicated rangers. Any amount helps! And for those that sign up in July, or increase your existing Ranger Club membership amount, you will be entered to win a gift featuring Big Life-branded merchandise.

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