2021 IMPACT: WILDLIFE PROTECTION
The Greater Amboseli ecosystem is generally regarded as one of the richest wildlife regions left in Africa. But the same animals that make it famous also put it in the crosshairs for illegal wildlife crime.
Big Life strives to prevent the poaching of all wildlife in our area of operation. Our community rangers are expertly trained, well equipped, and ready for action at a moment’s notice. They’re supported by a fleet of vehicles, two airplanes, two tracker dogs, and an expansive intelligence network.
Besides tracking and apprehending poachers, Big Life also collaborates with local prosecutors to ensure the guilty are punished to the fullest extent of the law.
Since our inception, poaching of all animals has dramatically declined and many wildlife populations are rebounding.
IN 2021, there were:
0 Elephants Poached
2 Elephant Rescues
10 Elephants Treated
100% Ivory Recovery Rate from Carcasses
0 Rhinos Poached
8 Direct & 114 Indirect Rhino Sightings
87 Suspects Arrested in 117 Bushmeat Poaching Incidents
122 Suspects Arrested Based on Intelligence in 62 Incidents
Rescues and treatments are done in collaboration with our partners at Sheldrick Wildlife Trust and Kenya Wildlife Service.
Photo: @JamesSuter#conservation#impactreport#africa#amboseli#rangers#poaching#elephants#rhinos#ivory#animals#wildlife#trackerdogs
Big Life's 2021 Impact Report is now online. None of the successes outlined in our Impact Report would be possible without YOU, our generous supporters.
Thank you for making our mission to protect the wildlife and wild lands of East Africa possible. Together, we will continue to build a future where elephants, lions, and rhinos can thrive alongside a prospering Maasai community.
See the full report - Link in bio
#africa#community#conservation#nonprofitorganization#nonprofit#elephants#rhinos#lions#community#maasai#thankyou#eastafrica#wildlife
Conservation is not for those who seek instant gratification. Meaningful strides must be measured on a regular basis, so that when you do look behind you know where you came from, and adjust accordingly. The work in Big Life’s area of operation is never done, and over time the threats have changed due to an ever-increasing human population and the subsequent pressures on wild spaces. It is through consistency and commitment from our rangers in the field supported by our incredible supporters that allow us to continue to protect 1.6 million acres of the Greater Amboseli ecosystem.
One such supporter is Chester Zoo, who has partnered with us for nearly two decades as we navigate meaningful and vital conservation in East Africa. Chester Zoo supports both the Maasai Olympics, which had to be paused during the Covid-19 pandemic but are set to resume this year, and the protection of the critically endangered Eastern black rhinos that live in the Chyulu Hills. The Maasai Olympics are critical not only for the community comradery, but to continue to protect African lions and reinforce the message that one does not need to kill a lion to be a warrior. High jumping, spear-throwing, and other competitions showcase and measure the Maasai’s incredible physical skills instead.
Thanks to Chester Zoo, we’ve also been able to support over 60 dedicated rhino protection rangers and the equipment and training they require. These rhinos are a genetically distinct group of individuals, and the stakes have never been higher for keeping them safe. The ultimate goal of their intense protection is to translocate new rhinos into their territory and provide a safe space for their rebound in this region.
We thank @ChesterZoo for their nearly two decades long confidence in Big Life’s work.
#rhino#rhinos#wildlife#animals#eastafrica#africa#conservation#maasaiolympics
Skywatchers across much of the globe recently turned their gaze upwards as a total lunar eclipse painted the moon in reflected reds and oranges reminiscent of Earth’s sunrises and sunsets. It was one the longest eclipses of the decade and coincided with the moon being at its closest point to the earth. For threatened species like rhinos, lunar activity like this can bring with it a significant risk as poachers may use the increased light of an engorged moon to better track their targets. While the world watched in awe as the moon turned a blood-red hue, anti-poaching units prepared for an onslaught.
These sorts of celestial events also create disruptions in the predictable patterns of species that match their rhythms to the light-dark cycle. The “Blood Moon” brings with it a certain eeriness and uncertainty and reminds us of the challenges we still face when it comes to saving the world’s imperiled species.
Our book “Blood Moon” (available on Amazon) eludes to the power of lunar cycles and tells the story of a remarkable effort to rescue rhinos from high-poaching zones in Africa and relocate them to safer locations.
#rhinos#BloodMoon#moon#conservation#wildlifeconservation#wildlife
The Chyulu Hills is a very special ecosystem where a cherished but tiny population of critically- endangered Eastern black rhinos call home. So dense is the vegetation that direct sightings of the animals are very rare. In the 4th quarter of 2021, there was only one direct sighting. Trail camera technology helps us to monitor these individuals unobtrusively and consistently over time despite their elusive nature. Over the same time period, there were 36 sightings via camera traps, including the image you see here. Big Life has 59 dedicated rangers that work in close coordination with @kenyawildlifeservice to ensure this precious population has the best chance of survival from poachers, and one day we hope to translocate new rhinos from other areas so this population can flourish under watchful eyes again.
#eastafrica#wildlife#rhino#rhinos #🦏
Photos by @amivitale | Four years ago, Sudan, the last living northern white rhino male passed away. At 45, Sudan was old for his species. He'd lived a long life and found stardom as the “most eligible bachelor in the world.” In his final moments, there was only silence, except for drops of rain and the muffled tears of the people who loved and protected him. I think back often on this moment and it's the silence I remember most—a haunting silence that seemed to foreshadow what a world without wildlife would be like.
Without these creatures, we suffer more than the loss of an ecosystem. We suffer a loss of imagination, a loss of wonder, a loss of possibilities. Figuring out how to create a sustainable and just human society that doesn’t destroy the natural world is our single most important challenge.
Hope always remains. What’s going to save us all is to get beyond our routine ways of thinking; wonder is what allows us to reimagine our future together. Wonder allows us to believe that we can fundamentally change the course we are currently on. Thanks to the groundbreaking and inspiring work of the @biorescue_project, northern white rhino embryos will be transferred into a surrogate southern white rhino mother in the near future. The species may still be saved from extinction.
Learn more, including how you can help, by following @BioRescue_project@olpejeta, @SafariParkDvurKralove and @amivitale#kenya#rhinos