Big Life Foundation Usa

ON THE GROUND IN AFRICA PARTNERING WITH COMMUNITIES TO PROTECT NATURE FOR THE BENEFIT OF ALL

HUMAN-WILDLIFE CONFLICT:BIG LIFE FOUNDATION USA FUNDS COLLABORATIVE PROGRAMS TO HELP MITIGATE THE NEGATIVE IMPACT OF HUMAN-WILDLIFE INTERACTION, SUCH AS MITIGATING CROP-RAIDING BY HUNGRY ELEPHANTS, BOTH FOR THE PEOPLE AND THE ANIMALS THROUGH THE CONSTRUCTION OF WILDLIFE EXCLUSION FENCES TO KEEP ELEPHANTS OUT OF CROPS. WE ALSO FUND A PREDATOR COMPENSATION FUND VIA GRANTS TO BIG LIFE LIMITED (BIG LIFE KENYA), A RELATED ORGANIZATION. FOR MAASAI HERDERS, THEIR CATTLE ARE THEIR LIVELIHOOD. WHEN LIVESTOCK FALLS PREY TO PREDATORS, THE HERDERS ARE FINANCIALLY DISADVANTAGED AND JUSTIFIABLY FRUSTRATED. (CONTINUED ON SCHEDULE O - SUPPLEMENTAL INFORMATION)TO PREVENT LOSSES THAT LEAD TO HERDERS RETALIATING WITH SPEARS OR POISONED CARCASSES, BIG LIFE FOUNDATION USA FUNDS PROGRAMS TO ENCOURAGE IMPROVED FENCING AND HUSBANDRY PRACTICES. IN THE EVENT THAT AN ANIMAL IS LOST TO A PREDATOR, THE HERDER IS COMPENSATED FOR A PERCENTAGE OF THE MARKET VALUE OF THE ANIMAL, USING FUNDS FROM THE PREDATOR COMPENSATION FUND. THIS SMALL CONSOLATION IS SIGNIFICANT TO THE MAASAI, AND AS A RESULT, RETALIATORY KILLINGS HAVE BEEN REDUCED SIGNIFICANTLY.IN 2021, WE FUNDED THE SUCCESSFUL INTERVENTION BY RANGERS AGAINST 10 ATTEMPTED RETALIATORY LION HUNTS, AND OUR GRANTS TO THE PREDATOR COMPENSATION FUND WERE USED TO REIMBURSE PARTICIPATING COMMUNITY MEMBERS A TOTAL OF $101,413 FOR VERIFIED DEATHS BY PREDATION OF LIVESTOCK.

WILDLIFE SECURITY:BIG LIFE FOUNDATION USA FUNDS PROGRAMS THAT SEEK TO PREVENT THE POACHING OF ALL WILDLIFE WITHIN OUR AREA OF OPERATION ACROSS KENYA AND TANZANIA. AMONG OTHER THINGS, WE FUND ONE OF THE LARGEST EMPLOYERS OF LOCAL MAASAI IN THE AMBOSELI-TSAVO-KILIMANJARO ECOSYSTEM, WHOSE RANGERS ARE EXPERTLY TRAINED AND WELL-EQUIPPED TO TACKLE A VARIETY OF WILDLIFE CRIMES SPANNING APPROXIMATELY TWO MILLION ACRES OF WILDERNESS. WHEN NECESSARY, THE RANGERS TRACK AND APPREHEND POACHERS AND COLLABORATE WITH LOCAL PROSECUTORS TO ENSURE THAT THEY ARE PUNISHED TO THE FULLEST EXTENT OF THE LAW. (CONTINUED ON SCHEDULE O - SUPPLEMENTAL INFORMATION) IN 2021, WE FUNDED 42 PERMANENT OUTPOSTS AND MOBILE UNITS IN KENYA, AND WE SUPPORTED THE SALARIES, TRAINING, AND EQUIPMENT OF OVER 450 TOTAL FIELD STAFF IN KENYA, INCLUDING 342 TRAINED RANGERS. RANGERS IN KENYA PATROLLED 684,161 KM BY VEHICLE, 127,547 KM ON FOOT, AND 36,784 BY PLANE. 393 SUSPECTS WERE ARRESTED IN 199 INCIDENTS IN KENYA. HUNDREDS OF POACHING TOOLS AND RELATED ITEMS WERE CONFISCATED, ALONG WITH 365 KG OF IVORY. WE ALSO SUPPORTED THE LEGAL MONITORING OF COURT CASES THROUGHOUT THE YEAR, INCLUDING 16 CONCLUDED CASES WITH 25 SUSPECTS CONVICTED/SENTENCED (NUMBERS ARE LOWER THAN USUAL DUE TO COVID-19-RELATED COURT CLOSURES AND COMPLICATIONS) AND MULTIPLE ONGOING CASES THAT ARE STILL BEING MONITORED.

EDUCATION & SCHOLARSHIPS:FIGHTING WILDLIFE CRIME HELPS THE ECOSYSTEM TODAY, BUT WINNING THE HEARTS AND MINDS OF THE COMMUNITY AND PROVIDING A MUTUAL BENEFIT THROUGH CONSERVATION IS THE ONLY WAY TO PROTECT WILDLIFE AND WILD LANDS FAR INTO THE FUTURE. BIG LIFE FOUNDATION USA INVESTS IN THE FUTURE OF PARTICIPATING COMMUNITIES BY FUNDING TEACHERS' SALARIES AND PROVIDING EDUCATIONAL SCHOLARSHIP FUNDS FOR HUNDREDS OF LOCAL MAASAI STUDENTS IN KENYA. THESE SALARIES AND SCHOLARSHIPS ARE DISTRIBUTED TO BIG LIFE KENYA WHO ALSO SELECTS THE RECIPIENTS. WHEN THE ENTIRE COMMUNITY BENEFITS FROM CONSERVATION EFFORTS AND RECOGNIZES THE VALUE OF PROTECTING THE ECOSYSTEM, ENFORCEMENT BECOMES SELF-POLICING. (CONTINUED ON SCHEDULE O - SUPPLEMENTAL INFORMATION)IN 2021, BIG LIFE FOUNDATION USA PROVIDED FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE FOR 507 STUDENTS AT VARYING LEVELS OF EDUCATION, AND PAID THE SALARIES OF 7 TEACHERS. MULTIPLE CONSERVATION-ORIENTED STUDENT AND COMMUNITY MEETINGS AND FIELD TRIPS WERE ALSO HELD IN 2021.