Protecting the remaining wild habitat areas in Big Life’s area of operation is an increasing program focus and a critical conservation need. Big Life's engagement in conservancy development is composed of two specific parts.

The first is paying annual leases to hundreds of owners of 60-acre parcels of land located in the Kimana Corridor. These lease payments are intended to limit destructive development of the land, other than that which is compatible with conservation and pastoralism.

The second involves working with local communities to protect land that is strategically important either as wildlife movement corridors or dispersal areas, but is also valuable to the local livestock economy as a grazing resource. This protection can be achieved through the establishment of conservancies, including the legal and management systems necessary for their effective functioning, and assisting to develop income-generating opportunities such as tourism.

Kimana Sanctuary, at the easternmost part of the Kimana Corridor, is an area frequented by Amboseli’s biggest bull elephants, including known tuskers like Tim. Thanks to support from the Sheldrick Wildlife Trust and the D.N. Batten Foundation, Big Life rangers are working to secure this special place.

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April 11, 2025

FARM IN WILDLIFE CORRIDOR LOSES FOURTH LEGAL CASE

It’s been almost 5 years since the bulldozers rolled into a cluster of community conservancies bordering Amboseli National Park, in one of the ecosystem’s most important wildlife corridors. Within days the machines had… Read More

February 28, 2025

KIMANA NIGHT LIFE

If Amboseli National Park is the heart of the Amboseli ecosystem, then Kimana Sanctuary is one of its lungs. Its swamps, streams and plentiful grass provide perennial relief for all of Amboseli’s wildlife. Read More

February 04, 2025

BE AT PEACE, PAOLO

Paolo, one of Amboseli’s most impressive elephants, died last weekend. These announcements are always bittersweet. ‘Super-tuskers’ like Paolo comprise just 0.02% of their entire species, so his loss feels significant.… Read More

October 07, 2024

WHEN GREEN TURNS BLACK

It is counterintuitive to have negative consequences following good rains. But what was a blessing at the beginning of 2024 became a ticking time bomb by mid-September. Because good rains result in long grass, and long… Read More

July 12, 2024

SCANDALWOOD

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May 23, 2024

KILIAVO’S NOT SO GRAND FINALE

Outside developers see Amboseli as the wild west, somewhere they can score cheap land and do what they want with it. ‘KiliAvo Fresh’ was one of these - they bought 180 acres in the Kimana Wildlife Corridor and cleared… Read More

May 06, 2024

LAUNCHING NAIRRABALA CONSERVANCY

First, we worked with landowners to secure the land. Nairrabala - a critical 37,500-acre wildlife corridor that connects Amboseli National Park to the north of the ecosystem - will now be protected by 20-year… Read More

March 11, 2024

THIRD ELEPHANT KILLED BY HUNTERS IN AMBOSELI LANDSCAPE

A third elephant has been killed by trophy hunters in northern Tanzania, in a part of the Greater Amboseli Ecosystem. Previous hunts took place late last year and both elephants killed were reported to be Super Tuskers… Read More

February 06, 2024

STARTING TO SOLVE PAOLO'S PROBLEM

In December, our supporters stepped up to help us protect the Nairrabala corridor, a critical connection point between Amboseli National Park and the conservancies to the north. The area is used frequently by wildlife,… Read More

December 18, 2023

NEW VIDEO – PREVENTING A SHATTERED LANDSCAPE

Are you wondering what we mean when we talk about “land subdivision?” It’s not the simplest thing to explain, but we did our best to boil it down in our newest short film. Together, we can prevent a shattered landscape.… Read More

Dec 13, 2023 - AN (ELEPHANT) HIGHWAY CALLED NAIRRABALA

Dec 11, 2023 - MEET PAOLO

Nov 28, 2023 - PAOLO'S PROBLEM

Jul 3, 2023 - (ECO)SYSTEM RESTORE

May 8, 2023 - BOOM AND BUST

Oct 7, 2022 - THE KEYS ARE SAFE (FOR THE NEXT 50 YEARS)

Jun 20, 2022 - WHEN THE LIGHTS GO OUT

Mar 22, 2022 - Hidden Water of the Chyulu Hills

Mar 21, 2022 - AMBOSELI’S LOST WORLD

Sep 30, 2021 - TIME TO CELEBRATE

Apr 26, 2021 - AVOCADO FARM, DISMISSED!

Feb 18, 2021 - A MESSAGE FROM THE ELEPHANTS

Feb 15, 2021 - A SWEET ANNOUNCEMENT

Feb 12, 2021 - SANCTUARY SUPERGROUP

Jan 27, 2021 - WHY DID THE ELEPHANT CROSS THE ROAD?

Dec 6, 2020 - HOW MANY ELEPHANTS IS AN AVOCADO WORTH?

Sep 24, 2020 - AVOCADOS VS ELEPHANTS

Oct 6, 2019 - OF HANDBAGS AND HOPE FOR THE FUTURE

Sep 17, 2019 - SETTING A FAIRYTALE STRAIGHT

Jun 5, 2019 - A BANDIT’S HAVEN NO LONGER

May 17, 2019 - A Long-Awaited Journey

Feb 28, 2019 - A SANCTUARY SAVED

Feb 10, 2019 - THREADING ELEPHANTS THROUGH THE EYE OF A NEEDLE

Dec 4, 2018 - Unearthing Tim: The Battle to Rescue an Amboseli Icon

Nov 30, 2018 - SPACE (To Call Their Own)

Jan 9, 2018 - OUR NEW YEAR’S RESOLUTION: BIG LIFE TO PROTECT KIMANA SANCTUARY

Aug 14, 2017 - THE GREEN HILLS OF KENYA ARE GOING REDD+

Oct 22, 2016 - NATURE’S HUNGRIEST BEAST