For a lion born in Amboseli in the early 2000s, life was likely short. At least 108 lions were killed between 2001 and 2006, and that’s just counting the bodies that were found.

Maasai communities have historically killed lions, in retaliation for killing livestock as well as for cultural reasons, but in the Greater Amboseli ecosystem, losses used to occur at rates that the population could reasonably sustain. With the arrival of cheap and deadly agricultural poisons in the 1990s, that changed fast.

One person could easily wipe out an entire lion pride—and countless other animals, as well—with a single packet of poison, and the accelerated death rate left the lion population hanging in the balance, with as few as 20 individuals left alive at one point.

A local scientist wrote that one particularly bad month, during which more than a dozen lions were killed, “may represent the beginning of the end.” But local communities had other ideas, and Big Life took up the challenge.

In response to this urgent situation, we started the Predator Compensation Fund (PCF), aimed at reducing the economic losses associated with livestock depredation, and in each area where it was implemented, retaliatory lion killing immediately ceased.

At that time, there weren’t many lions left to kill, but thanks to our local conservation partners Lion Guardians, who have also made important contributions to protecting the species, we know that the lion population has grown steadily and is now in excess of 200 animals across the ecosystem.

During the worst of the killing, the lions who survived were those living singly or in small groups, those who avoided humans at all costs. The surviving lions hid themselves well. But with the reduction in persecution, stable prides have once again established.

It is a huge moment for us to report that there is currently a pride of 22 lions living entirely on Maasai community land. This is about as many lions in one pride as there were in the entire ecosystem 15 years ago. And thanks to this important cultural shift, the lions are calm and comfortable, allowing tourists on safari to get quite close, as this photo demonstrates.

This is only the beginning; conflict between lions and humans continues, and coexistence is uneasy. Big Life’s predator protection work is as critical now as ever, particularly as lion numbers continue to fall across the rest of Africa, and each population becomes a more important part of the whole.

However, it’s good to pause now and again and appreciate the results of all our hard work. In at least one small corner in Africa, the lion population is increasing, not decreasing, and that is worth celebrating.

Please help us to continue this success story by making a donation.

Photo: Andy Biggs

This was an attack on all sides, by multiple attackers. There were spear wounds on the rump, back legs, and two through the trunk. A total of five holes that shouldn’t be there.

We know this elephant. His name is Lobolo, and until recently, he hadn’t been seen for a number of months. Wherever it is that he went, he clearly found trouble, and most likely the wounds were a result of conflict with humans. It could have been from continued fall-out following a spate of elephant hunting after two people were killed early last month by elephants to the north and outside of our core area of operation.

Thankfully Lobolo made it back to safety for help, which was quick to come. He was first spotted at a waterhole by guides from ol Donyo Lodge. Big Life rangers staked out the waterhole, knowing that Lobolo would soon return. When he did, late one afternoon, a well-rehearsed response kicked into action.

Not two days since our previous call for a separate incident to the Sheldrick-Wildlife-Trust-supported Kenya Wildlife Service sky-vet, and the helicopter was back on the scene. The pilot skillfully corralled Lobolo, keeping him in the open for a clear shot from the vet and his dart gun. The wounds were all successfully treated and packed with blue medicinal clay, and a groggy Lobolo woke up and ambled slowly off into the bush.

The Greater Amboseli ecosystem is a huge place, and while we try, we cannot keep an eye on all 2,000+ elephants moving through all of the time. Big Life rangers respond to all reported conflicts and try to prevent any injuries to both humans and elephants. But this is not always possible, and we’re thankful for the work that the rangers do, and the partners we are able to call on to help the injured.

Cockroaches in the cupboard, mosquitos landing on your face.  Even in the most mundane way, everyone has experienced animals invading our personal spaces. 

In Africa it can be on a dramatically larger scale. Lions and other predators killing your livestock. Elephants trampling your crops and killing or injuring a family member. The automatic response by many is predictable: kill the problem animal.

Listening to our local communities, Big Life has always believed that one of the most effective ways of intervening is to relieve some of the economic costs borne by those who live alongside wild animals.

One of our early innovations in this field was the creation of Big Life’s Predator Compensation Fund (PCF), a compensation program designed to reimburse livestock owners for a portion of their losses to predators (with penalties for poor livestock husbandry), provided that no predators are killed in retaliation.

The result, fifteen years later, is arguably one of the world’s most successful predator protection programs. Big Life’s PCF has gone from an experiment to one of the core driving forces behind the spectacular recovery of the lion population in the Greater Amboseli ecosystem, along with the work of our local lion conservation partners.

On a larger scale, increasing conflict between humans and wildlife has become one of the biggest threats to conservation in Kenya, and the government has taken note. One outcome is the recent formation of a high-level Taskforce on Human-Wildlife Conflict Compensation Schemes, and we are incredibly proud to have Daniel Ole Sambu (pictured here), Big Life’s predator protection program coordinator, as one of the few non-governmental representatives invited to participate.

This task force will look at the opportunities for compensation programs to contribute to human-wildlife coexistence across Kenya, as well as a broad range of other potential conflict mitigation options.

Running a successful compensation program can be difficult, as there is huge potential for fraud and a high risk that the program won’t have the intended impact. So we’re incredibly honored that the Kenyan government has taken note of our success and that someone as experienced as Daniel will have the opportunity to help design future national solutions.

There is a lot that happens in the shadows outside of Big Life’s core operating area. Some of it goes unseen, but it’s difficult to hide a dead giraffe.

As the poachers cut meat off of the unfortunate giraffe they had snared, someone was watching. This information made its way out of the bush and reached Big Life through our intelligence network. The informer even knew which route the poachers would use to escape.

Although it was not in our core area of operation, one of Big Life’s mobile units set off to the scene with Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS). It was far enough away that the rangers were unlikely to get there before the poachers left, so the unit decided to set up an ambush along the suspected escape route.

Late at night, the beams of three motorbike headlights cut the darkness. By the time the riders saw the roadblock, it was too late to turn, and they rode straight into the ambush. Each bike was loaded with sacks of giraffe meat, nearly 300 kg estimated in total.

Two of the men pled guilty and were given the maximum sentence under the Kenya Wildlife Act: a $2,000 fine or two years in prison. The third pled not guilty, and his trial is ongoing.

Not long after this incident, and closer to home, there was a report of another snared giraffe. But this time, the animal was still alive, having managed to break free of the tree that the snare was attached to. The wire was tangled around the animal’s back legs and each step was pulling the noose around its neck tighter and tighter.

The Big Life ranger team had to find the giraffe quickly in order to save its life. This they were able to do, and the Sheldrick Wildlife Trust-supported KWS vet unit was called in, successfully removing the snare and treating the giraffe’s wounds.

Each animal has a different price on its head. It’s a straightforward equation in the case of those hunted for the bushmeat trade: price per kilogram multiplied by number of kilograms. This calculation puts the giraffe at the top of the list, square in a poacher’s sights. A full-grown giraffe might weigh in excess of 1,000 kg and provide one of the highest returns that a poacher could hope for.

Poaching is one of the reasons that the number of giraffes in Africa has dropped dramatically, by an estimated 40% in the last 30 years. Yet despite this threat, the work that Big Life and our partners are doing to protect this species in the Amboseli-Kilimanjaro ecosystem is proving successful. In 2013, an aerial survey of the ecosystem counted 4,283 giraffes. Just 5 years later, that number has risen by 24% to 5,312 giraffes in the ecosystem.

Today being World Giraffe Day, we believe that those numbers are reason to celebrate.