A few years ago we sat down to draft a 10-year strategic plan for Big Life. I remember the lead consultant asking, “What are your targets for anti-poaching?” My instant answer was, ‘’Zero poaching,’’ to which the reply was “that’s not possible.” Well, I am happy to report that it is. In 2019, we lost not a single elephant to poachers in Big Life’s area of operation, which spans over 1.6 million acres. We didn’t lose any rhino either. Some herbivores were poached for bushmeat, but many of those responsible are languishing in custody. The message is out there: poaching is high-risk in this neck of the woods.
Coronavirus did not figure into our strategic plan, either. We could never have imagined the current scenario, keeping our rangers isolated at their outposts and letting those who can work remotely do so. In the face of a global pandemic, things feel unstable and bleak. But let me present some positive news in the midst of this hopefully temporary catastrophe.
In 2019, Big Life funded the education for 293 children ranging from primary school to university age, and we have completed 100 km of electrified fencing to address human-elephant conflict. We used to lose up to 15 elephants a year in conflicts with local farmers, but this past year had only one such death. What’s more, farmers are now able to bring their crops to harvest. Our local lion population continues to t a b l e o f c o n t e n t s thrive, bucking the continental trend despite living in a land of lion-hunters. d i r e c t o r ’s Namibia, and African conservation, has just lost a maverick, Garth Owen-Smith, a man I hugely admired 2 2019 Year in Review 4 Where We Work 6-27 What We Do 28-33 How We Do It and whom I would like to quote, ‘’The long-term conservation of wildlife will not be achieved by military n o t e tactics, on computer screens or workshops, but by field conservationists who build relationships with the 6 WILDLIFE 28 FINANCIALS people living with wildlife or around our national parks.” 20 HABITAT 30 SUPPORTERS 24 COMMUNITY Garth’s philosophy very much mirrors that of Big Life, and as we move forward into what will be a very turbulent year, we know more than ever that we have to maintain the relationships with the communities with whom we work. Big Life must maintain our programs, keep our rangers in the field safely, and maintain our measurable successes across the ecosystem.
If we can stop poaching and continue to build a positive relationship with the people of this immense ecosystem, then we can certainly outride the coronavirus. We will definitely need your help to do so. Thank you, as always, for your faith in our mission to protect wildlife and wild lands in East Africa.
r i c h a r d b o n h a m Co-Founder & Director of Operations 0 0 3 5 0 + 2 6 9 Elephants Poached Rhinos Poached Total Field Staff Trained Rangers
7 3 2 + K G 4 6 0 7 8 2019 y e a r Ivory Confiscated Arrests in 285 Incidents Mobile Units Female Rangers i n r e v i e w 5 5 8 2 3 9 1 4 4 1 Tools and Weapons Confiscated Rangers Trained in 10 Courses Patrol Vehicles Ranger Units
1 2 1 0 0 K M 2 3 0 Lion Hunts Prevented Fencing Constructed Airplanes Permanent Outposts
3 6 7 4 3 4 0 9 2 Education Scholarships Awarded Healthcare Outreaches Facilitated Aerial Patrol Hours Tracker Dogs
t o t a l k i l o m e t e r s p a t r o l l e d On Foot: 122,362 km By Vehicle: 363,167 km By Plane: 58,815 km
2 3 w h e r e w e w o r k
Big Life Foundation’s Area of Operation (AOO) covers approximately 1.6 million acres of the Amboseli-Tsavo- Kilimanjaro (Greater Amboseli) ecosystem in East Africa.
Our rangers help to protect and secure wildlife and critical habitat stretching from the rangelands north of Amboseli to the Chyulu Hills and Tsavo West National Park in the east, and south to Kilimanjaro National Park.
The area is a central connection point for migrating wildlife and contains some of the most important habitat left in Africa. Big Life was the first organization in the region to establish coordinated cross-border anti- poaching operations between Kenya and Tanzania.
Our AOO is divided into a core area with a permanent Non-Core AOO (patrolled by mobile units): Big Life security presence, a non-core area that is Merrueshi Ranch, Taveta Area actively patrolled by Big Life’s mobile units, and adjacent areas where we provide support as needed. Adjacent (support provided as needed): Kuku Group Ranch, Mailua Ranch, Tsavo West National Park Core AOO (permanent security presence): Eselengei Group Ranch, Headquarters National Parks Kimana Area, Mbirikani Group Ranch, Rombo Group Ranch, Chyulu Hills BLF-Supported Ranger Outposts Agricultural Areas National Park, and Enduimet Wildlife Management Area (Tanzania) Mobile Ranger Units Crop Protection Fence — Completed Wildlife Migration Routes Crop Protection Fence — Underway
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Elephants Rhinos
Elephants across Africa are in crisis, facing threats that include ivory There are eight known critically-endangered Eastern black poaching and human-elephant conflict. The number of African rhinoceroses in Big Life’s area of operation. They spend most elephants once reached upwards of 30 million; today, only an of their time in the densely-forested Chyulu Hills, protected by estimated 350,000 remain. In Big Life’s AOO, there are more than dedicated Big Life rangers and Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS). 2,000 elephants, including some of the largest remaining tuskers in all of Africa. In addition to monitoring and protecting the resident rhinos, Big Life has been working to improve infrastructure in the rhino area, the goal of which is to maintain Intensive Protection Zone (IPZ) status, which allows for the future inbound translocation 5 0 of rhinos from other territories. IPZ status is awarded by the Elephant Mortalities Elephants Poached Kenyan government for demonstrating that the area and the rhino population can be effectively protected. The infrastructure includes Within Big Life’s Core AOO: 3 2 roads, fencing, and consistent water supply. The KWS Board of Directors has approved the translocation of 21 rhinos to augment w i l d l i f e p r o t e c t i o n Causes Elephant Rescues the Chyulu Hills’ population, subject to an approved site-specific Natural: 1 management plan. The management plan is being completed Unknown: 1 17 through ongoing site visits and meetings with relevant stakeholders. Human-Elephant Conflict: 1 Elephant Injuries All anti-poaching and monitoring efforts are conducted Within Big Life’s Treated: 7 Big Life strives to prevent the Non-Core AOO: 2 in close collaboration with KWS. Specially-trained Big Life rangers use traditional tracking methods, camera traps, and Causes poaching of all wildlife within Rescues and treatments are done live sightings to maintain an accurate record of all rhinos Unknown: 2 our area of operation. in collaboration with our partners in the territory, and raise red flags if a certain period of 100% at the Sheldrick Wildlife Trust and time elapses between recording specific individuals. Big Life’s community rangers are Kenya Wildlife Service. Ivory Recovery Rate expertly trained and well-equipped 8 to tackle a variety of wildlife crimes. Rhinos We track and apprehend poachers 0 and collaborate with local prosecutors Rhino Mortalities
to ensure that they are punished Rhino Protection Rangers: 51 to the fullest extent of the law. Dedicated Rhino Outposts: 7 Dedicated Rhino Units: 10 Since our inception, poaching Water Points: 3 Direct Sightings: 7 of all animals has dramatically Indirect Sightings (via 37 camera traps): 73 declined in our area of operation. Spoor Sightings: 211 6 7 WILDLIFE
It is hard for me to convey what a difference it has made to have Big Life working in the Amboseli ecosystem. Their efforts have saved countless elephants from injuries and death.
—cynthia moss, Amboseli Trust for Elephants Big Life is practical, collaborative and Bushmeat Prosecutions effective. Its rangers saw Amboseli People poach animals for bushmeat for two reasons: killing for Following arrest, suspects are formally charged by the Kenya Police through the ivory poaching crisis; now subsistence, as a source of protein, or killing for profit, to sell meat Service. The judicial process can be anywhere from immediate to spanning in the commercial game meat trade. In Big Life’s AOO, bushmeat months or years. Big Life tracks the progress of wildlife and habitat-related their deep understanding of people poaching often spikes in the dry season, when resources are scarce and cases in the local justice system to ensure that laws are properly enforced and elephants is forging a future farm laborers are out of work. Species targeted for bushmeat in 2019 and to encourage maximum penalties upon sentencing. included: buffalo, bushbuck, dik-dik, eland, gazelle, gerenuk, giraffe, for harmonious coexistence. hippo, impala, oryx, wildebeest, and zebra. Big Life arrests suspects for poaching-related crimes, habitat destruction, trespassing, and more. —iain douglas-hamilton, Save the Elephants 100+ 182 Animals Killed Ongoing Cases 48 361 Suspects Arrested in 30 Incidents Suspects
18 Concluded Cases
15 Suspects Sentenced
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EarthRanger
Last year, Big Life partnered with WildAid, Vulcan Inc, and a domain awareness system. This comprehensive Kinetic Six on a complete overhaul and modernization of platform allows us to see Big Life’s world on one screen, our radio communication systems, including a new ‘nerve including real-time locations of all of our ranger units, center’ for controlling all Big Life ranger operations. vehicles, aircraft, and tracker dogs. Now, when an incident occurs, the radio operators can control the These improvements allowed Big Life to implement an response from start to finish, calling in the closest units exciting new computer software called EarthRanger, and guiding them straight to where they need to be.
One of Big Life’s most important wildlife protection strategies In 2019, we lost one of our beloved tracker dogs, Didi, to includes the use of tracker dogs. Once a team of three, the kidney failure. As a rescue from the Kenya SPCA, Didi surprised tracker dog unit today consists of two bloodhounds and everyone with her stamina and focus. One of her most six handlers. The unit is ready to respond anywhere in the significant achievements was the 15+ km track that led to the ecosystem at a moment’s notice, deploying by vehicle or arrest of two suspects who had killed five elephants in Tsavo aircraft. The dog unit’s reputation has spread, and the dogs West National Park. She was also a hero to members of our are often called in to national parks to support Kenya Wildlife local communities, having tracked and found countless children Service (KWS) operations, as well as various private wildlife lost in the wilderness, as well as an occasional thief. conservancies and other NGOs in the region. Rest in peace, Didi.
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Enduiment Wildlife Management Area comprises 350,000 acres of important wildlife habitat on the Tanzania side of the border. Tanzania
During the course of the year, about one-third of the Greater Amboseli ecosystem’s elephants, and many other species including 4 c r o s s-b o r d e r o p e r a t i o n s 132 i l l e g a l i n c i d e n t s (Community Crimes – 8, Encroachment – 2, Habitat Destruction lions, cross the border from Kenya into Tanzania, just a few Rangers: 19 kilometers south. We can’t expect the animals to conveniently – 101, Bushmeat Poaching – 19, Trophy Possession - 1) Anti-Poaching Commander: 1 stay within the man-made boundaries inside which they are Trophy Poaching Related Incidents: 0 Information Officer: 1 protected, which is why cross-border protection is so important. Suspects Arrested: 71 Mobile Response Teams: 2 Items Recovered: 210 With financial support from the European Union, Big Life partners New Informers Recruited: 40 (including 2 pieces of ivory, 1 ostrich egg, and 50 snares) with the Enduimet Wildlife Management Area, The Nature Conservancy, and other stakeholders to undertake wildlife k i l o m e t e r s p a t r o l l e d 4 e l e p h a n t mortalities protection operations across the border in northeastern Tanzania. Foot Units: 29,222 km (1 euthanized, suspected natural injury, 1 human-related, By Vehicle: 60,677 km fell into pit-latrine, 2 unknown)
Ivory Recovery Rate: 100% 22 c r o p r a i d s p r e v e n t e d Humans Killed (all by elephants): 5 Crop-Raiding Incidents: 89 Elephant Treatments: 1* Acres Damaged: 75+ *Treatments are done in collaboration with MAKOA Farm, TANAPA, and the TAWA Lions Killed in Retaliatory Hunts: 4 Lion Hunts Prevented: 1
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Crop Raiding Crop-Protection Fence h u m a n - w i l d l i f e c o n f l i c t Poaching continues to pose a significant threat, but many elephants face Since 2016, Big Life has been working with local communities and partners an even bigger challenge: conflict with humans. As the human population on an ambitious solution to crop raiding: the construction of an electric increases, so do competing land uses, such as farming and development. fence that would establish a hard boundary between farmers’ crops and As humans compete for limited resources like water, land, and grazing, we hungry elephants. Approximately 130 km of fencing is needed ultimately, Human-Wildlife Conflict (HWC) takes three further reduce what were once wild lands. With less space to share, people and we’re well on our way. To date, 100 km has been constructed. primary forms across Big Life’s area of operation: and animals now come into direct contact at an alarming rate and often with deadly results. We now know that from 2015 to 2019, attitudes toward both wildlife and crops raided by wildlife, particularly elephants; elephants have improved in the area where the fence was constructed. livestock killed by predators, such as lions; and Big Life’s HWC ranger teams assist communities and protect elephants In 2015, 51% of those surveyed were positive about wildlife in general, by chasing elephants out of farms. Crop-protection fences help to deter and only 25% were positive about elephants. But in 2019, those numbers humans injured or killed due to living in close elephants from entering farmed areas in the first place. jumped to 84% and 72%, respectively. The number of respondents who proximity with wildlife. said they felt fearful of elephants fell from 96% in 2015 to only 24% in Crop-Raiding Incidents: 264 2019. This is certainly a direct result of improved ranger response to crop Big Life works strategically to mitigate HWC, such as by deploying rapid Incidents Involving Elephants: 258 raiding and fewer human-elephant encounters in farming areas that have response ranger teams to move elephants away from farms and building Acres Damaged: 308 been fenced. crop-protection fences to create a hard boundary between elephant habitat and agricultural areas. Acres Damaged by Elephants: 304 There has been around a 90% decrease in the number of elephant crop Crop Raids Prevented: 183 raids in the areas protected by the fence. 99% of those surveyed felt that Big Life also conducts predator protection initiatives to offset the impact of Crop-Protection Rangers: 24 the fence had reduced crop raiding by elephants specifically, and 98% felt humans living in close proximity with apex predators like lions. These have that the fence was successful at protecting their crops. been instrumental in the turnaround of the ecosystem’s lion population, which is now one of the few in Africa that is growing, not declining. Fence Constructed to Date: 100 km Fence Maintenance Workers: 28 14 15 WILDLIFE
Predator Compensation Fund
Big Life protects vulnerable predators in the ecosystem in collaboration applied for poor animal husbandry practices. The community provides with partners and local communities. The core component of Big Life’s 30% of the total compensation paid, and payments are withheld if predator protection program is livestock compensation, which reduces any predators are killed by members of participating communities. the motivation for retaliatory killing in response to livestock depredation. Big Life currently manages the PCF on Mbirikani and Eselengei Group The Predator Compensation Fund (PCF) pays Maasai livestock owners a Ranches, and in the Kimana Conservancies. The lion population in portion of the value of their livestock lost to predators, on the condition Big Life’s AOO is one of the few lion populations in all of Africa that is that no predators are killed in retaliation. Big Life Verification Officers are growing, not declining, and is now estimated at over 200 individuals. dispatched to the scene to confirm all depredations, and penalties are
Compensation Issued for Predation of: Depredation by Species Total Lion Population: 200+ Lion Statistics 320 Cows Lions Killed in Big Life’s AOO: 12 (6 speared, 4 poisoned, 1 natural, and 1 unknown 2,593 Sheep/Goats HYENA LION CHEETAH JACKAL in six incidents) Total: 1,758 Total: 393 Total: 353 Total: 332 Donkeys 21 60% 13% 12% 11% Lions Killed in Violation of the PCF: 6 (in two incidents)
Retaliatory Lion Hunts Prevented: 11 total livestock killed: 2,934 * Hunts prevented in coordination with Lion LEOPARD CARACAL WILD DOG Guardians and Kenya Wildlife Service. Lion Total: 79 Total: 15 Total: 4 population figures courtesy of Lion Guardians. total compensation value: 3% <1% <1% $114,506
16 17 WILDLIFE
Maasai Olympics Risks to Humans
In 2012, Big Life held the first organized sporting event based on Living in the African bush is challenging, in part due traditional Maasai warrior skills to replace the long-held tradition to conflict with wildlife. The following tragic events of hunting lions as a mark of manhood, bravery, and prestige. occurred in Big Life’s AOO in 2019:
The games represent a history-changing shift from killing to 31 conservation. Every two years, participating manyattas (warrior Incidents of Humans villages) select teams through a series of tournaments leading Threatened by Wildlife up to the finals across six events: rungu and javelin throwing, Species Responsible: elephant (26), standing high jump, and 200m, 800m, and 5,000m races. buffalo (3), hyena (1), lion (1) 2019 was an off-year for the games, but two years is a long time for young, ambitious athletes to wait. An event was organized 4 to fill in the gap and keep enthusiasm high. The local warriors Humans Injured by Wildlife have long told us that a football tournament would be a welcome Species Responsible: lion (2), hyena (1), puff adder (1) addition to the Maasai Olympics, so this year we made it happen. 5
After a highly competitive tournament in September with Humans Killed by Wildlife warriors from four manyattas participating, the team from Species Responsible: confirmed elephant (3), Mbirikani won. We have seen yet again that sports are the perfect suspected elephant (1), bees (1) way to engage the young people of the ecosystem, providing a broad-reaching platform for conservation outreach.
18 13 19 HABITAT
Kimana Sanctuary
The Kimana Sanctuary was one of the first community-owned and run wildlife sanctuaries in East Africa, but over time, it failed to thrive. At the request of the community, Big Life took h a b i t a t p r o t e c t i o n over management of the Sanctuary in 2018. Thanks to funding from the Sheldrick Wildlife Trust, the lease for the Sanctuary was secured. With partner support, Big Sanctuary Statistics The Greater Amboseli ecosystem is generally regarded Life was able to rehabilitate a guesthouse in the Sanctuary and establish basic as one of the richest wildlife areas left in Africa. campsites, both of which now generate Total Visitor Entrance Days: 2,738 tourism revenue for the local community. Tourism Revenue Generated for the Community: $28,969 Increasing human-wildlife conflict in the ecosystem is a Lease Payments Made to Community Members: $94,528 direct result of wildlife and local communities competing for Visitors started to trickle in again, and then Rangers Protecting the Sanctuary: 22 flow. 604 people visited the Sanctuary Support Staff:4 limited resources on the same shrinking land areas. In order to in 2018. During 2019, 2,738 people Sanctuary Members: 844 reduce conflict, wildlife habitat must be strategically protected, visited, a remarkable 450% increase. Sanctuary Size: 5,700 acres
and is an increasingly urgent program focus for Big Life. In September 2019, the Kimana Sanctuary was ‘re-launched’ in a celebration run by the Kimana Community, and attended by the guest-of-honor and Governor of Kajiado County, H.E Hon. Joseph ole Lenku.
The Kimana Sanctuary is more important than ever. It provides the promise of wildlife-related income to community members, as well as water and freedom of movement for wildlife moving to and from Amboseli National Park.
2014 21 HABITAT
Kimana Conservancies REDD+ Habitat Destruction & Encroachment
Big Life is actively working to secure natural Two years ago, Big Life joined with local Big Life rangers enforce laws to prevent habitat in the Kimana Corridor, where a number community, government, and NGO partners and deter habitat-related crimes, such as of land owners came together to form six to implement a potentially life-saving project. illegal charcoal production, arson, sand conservancies, governed by an umbrella body The Chyulu Hills REDD+ Project is part of a harvesting, water extraction, and logging, called the Amboseli Land Owners Conservancy global network of interventions aimed at (including high-value protected species like Association (ALOCA). Big Life, with support helping communities to conserve forests sandalwood). Rangers also enforce protected from SWT, has entered into conservation and other important carbon stores, and in so area rules, in conservancies and national lease agreements with 269 land owners in doing keep carbon out of the atmosphere. parks, that make encroachment activities like five of these conservancies, and is currently This benefits not only the people living around trespassing, settlement and grazing, among negotiating with others in the sixth conservancy. the Chyulu Hills, but the entire planet and the others, illegal, as such activities are indirectly stable climate upon which we all depend. harmful to critical ecosystem habitats. Together with land leases that are held by tourism operators, there are 356 land parcels By protecting the Chyulu Hills, local 173 leased for conservation in the corridor. communities and partners (Big Life included) Suspects Arrested for Habitat The leases restrict land conversion and will benefit from the sale of two million carbon Destruction in 116 Incidents fragmentation, and prohibit fencing and credits being marketed by Conservation farming. Land owners have full access to their International. The revenue will be invested in 50 land for livestock grazing, and mechanisms are local community development projects and Suspects Arrested for Encroachment being developed to ensure that any tourism conservation efforts, such as the employment into Protected Areas revenue benefits all conservancy members. of rangers protecting this precious resource. Work in this area will be ongoing, as we strive to maintain open migratory corridors through Carbon credits for the area have already 42 the conservancies to connect Amboseli National been purchased, including by Tiffany jewelers Incidents of Protected Park with Kimana Sanctuary, and beyond. and Gucci. In 2019, Big Life received roughly Area Enforcement $5,000 from the sale of these credits, which will fund security operations in the area, and significantly more is expected in 2020.
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c o m m u n i t y s u p p o r t
The Greater Amboseli ecosystem is home to the Maasai—one of the foremost indigenous ethnic groups in East Africa.
Winning the hearts and minds of the local community and providing a mutual benefit through conservation is the only way to protect wildlife and wild lands far into the future. To that end, Big Life developed a number of programs to benefit the community, aligned with Big Life’s ethos: if conservation supports the people, then people will support conservation.
These programs include education and healthcare initiatives, and also lesser known activities, such as using ranger vehicles as ambulances, responding to crimes within the community, conducting search and rescue operations, and more.
2414 25 COMMUNITY
Education
Big Life invests in the future of participating communities by funding Kenya. The desire for education is so strong that families will bankrupt teachers’ salaries, providing scholarship funds for local students, and themselves, often selling their livestock (the main livelihood and implementing conservation-specific curriculum in classrooms. subsistence commodity) to put their children through school.
The latest UN statistics cite that over 1 million children are not attending To help, Big Life offers merit- and need-based scholarships, both in school in Kenya and lists education as one of the three most critical needs, the short-term (one-time scholarships) and long-term (multi-year besides clean water and access to healthcare, within the Maasai regions in scholarships), to qualifying students, as well as covering the salaries of several local teachers.
Healthcare Patients Who Received Primary Healthcare Services: 2,708 Patients Who Received Family Planning Support: 1,635 293 74 18 In partnership with CHASE Africa and the local Kajiado South Long-Term Scholarships One-Time Scholarships Teachers' Salaries Paid Department of Health, Big Life facilitates mobile health clinics and Patients Who Received De-Worming Medicine: 4,798 Awarded Awarded backpack nurse visits in remote communities to provide desperately Patients Who Received Immunizations: 1,087 Girls: 155 // Boys: 138 Girls: 19 // Boys: 55 needed healthcare services. During the clinics, there are clinical officers and nurses available for consultations, HIV testing and prenatal care, Community Crimes immunization services, a basic pharmacy, and access to short and long- term family planning services. 29 Suspects Arrested in 13 Incidents For crimes involving assault, illegal alcohol or Backpack Nurse visits consist of a nurse traveling by motorbike drug possession, vandalism, or theft. to different remote villages four times per month to provide immunizations, family planning, and prenatal care, all with supplies in Community Assistance their backpacks. Big Life rangers and tracker dogs often help to search for people who Big Life also manages a team of Community Health Volunteers have become lost in the bush, and assist in numerous other ways. (CHVs), supported by CHASE Africa and the Leila and Mickey Straus Family Foundation. Their role is to provide comprehensive sexual Lost People Found: 24 6 2,708 and reproductive health and rights education to help couples make Incidents of Livestock Recovery: 8 University/College Graduates Students Reached by informed choices about the size and spacing of their families. Emergency Medical Transports Provided: 4 Supported Through Conservation Curriculum to Graduation Mobile Healthcare Clinics Facilitated: 11 Searches for Stolen Property: 4 Backpack Nurse Visits: 32 26 27 FINANCIALS
f i n a n c i a l s w e a r e g r a t e f u l f o r t h e s u p p o r t o f o u r p a r t n e r s , i n c l u d i n g :
US Board of Directors Field Partners Corporate Partners Organization: Big Life Foundation USA | Report: Financial Report | Period: January to December 2019 | Country: USA | Currency: US Dollars Kristine Baty, Secretary 51 Degrees 1% for the Planet Richard Bonham, Co-Founder African Conservation Centre Electric Forest At Big Life, we maximize every penny of your contributions. STATEMENT OF ACTIVITIES Orla Brady African Wildlife Foundation Elephant Gin 87¢ out of every $1 donated goes directly towards our mission Nick Brandt, Co-Founder and Chairperson Amboseli Ecosystem Trust Great Plains Conservation / ol Donyo Lodge INCOME 2019 2018 of protecting wildlife and wild lands for the benefit of all. Jon Cummings Amboseli Landowners Conservancy Association LUSH Fresh Handmade Cosmetics Tom Hill, Co-Founder and Treasurer Amboseli Trust for Elephants Part Time Rangers Contributions & Grants $3,217,722 $3,289,817 Dereck Joubert Amboseli Tsavo Community Wildlife Ranger Quagga Green Label In-Kind Contributions $149,925 $152,450 Neen Koenigsbauer Association Other Income $23,602 $25,460 Chris Sattler Association of Private Land Rhino Sanctuaries Zoo Partners $3,145,404 Mike Silvestrini Born Free Total Income $3,391,249 $3,467,727 Programs 87% Barry Turkus Conservation International Enduimet Wildlife Management Area Beauval Nature Honeyguide Foundation Chester Zoo EXPENSES US Staff International Fund for Animal Welfare La Passarelle Conservation Programs $3,145,404 $3,431,490 Oakland Zoo Amy Baird, Associate Director Kajiado South Sub-County Department of General/Admin $214,940 $193,869 Health Ouwehands Zoo Foundation Alexandra Hostetter, Director of Development Fundraising1 $261,974 $263,004 Kenya Wildlife Service Stichting Vrienden Safaripark and Partnerships 2019 Lion Guardians Zoo Basel Kim McCoy, Executive Director Zoo Dresden Total Expenses $3,622,318 $3,888,363 EXPENSES Maasai Wilderness Conservation Trust Traci Walter, Development & Outreach Associate Oikos (Change in Net Assets) ($231,069) ($420,636) $261,974 Porini Eselengei Camp Fundraising 7% Ranger Campus Net Assets, Beginning of Year $1,798,630 $2,219,266 Thank you to all of our Board of Directors and Satao Elerai Safari Camp Net Assets, End of Year2 $1,567,561 $1,798,630 Advisory Board members, who invest considerable Save the Elephants $214,940 amounts of time, resources, expertise, in-kind Seedballs Kenya General/Admin 6% donations, and financial contributions towards Sheldrick Wildlife Trust achieving our mission. Tanzania National Parks Authority (TANAPA) 1 Big Life receives up to $120,000/yr of free online advertising from a Tanzania People and Wildlife Google Ad Grant. Auditing standards require us to categorize this donated Image Credits Tanzania Wildlife Management Authority (TAWA) TZ Wildlife Division’s Anti-Poaching Unit advertising as a fundraising expense, which inflates our numbers slightly, Cover & all others except as follows: © Jeremy Goss The Nature Conservancy but we do not spend a penny of your donations on Google AdWords. Directors Note & Page 8: © Shaun Mousley WildlifeDirect 2 Big Life maintains a Board-designated reserve fund to be drawn upon in Page 3 (top): © Ryan Wilkie Zoological Society of London the event of financial distress or an immediate liquidity need resulting from Pages 3 (bottom), 12, & 29: © Axel Fassio events outside typical operations of the organization. Page 6: © Max Melesi Page 13: © Felipe Rodriguez
Our Form 990 tax filings and audited financial statements ® Page 26: (top row): © Mattie Simas are available online at: biglife.org/about-big-life/financials Page 33: © Craig Millar give.org
28 29 SUPPORTERS
Ranger Club member We also wish to thank our wonderfully b i g l i f e s u p p o r t e r s Donation received by Big generous anonymous donors for making Life Canada, Kenya, or UK our work possible. You know who you are.
$100,000+ $20,000+ Individual Opportunity, Inc. Lisa Clinton Susan Zellerbach The Burton Foundation Anonymous Ann Lurie Revocable Trust Robin & Lela Gibbs Cindy Cobb Karen Cadora Anonymous Aspen Business Center Foundation Gordon & Patricia Gray Animal Robert C. Colwell $1,000+ Patricia & Len Campbell Welfare Foundation* Stan & Kristine Baty Zak & Cassie Boca Bryce Douglas* Aaron & Patricia Blumberg Foundation Cappy and Beth Rothman Family Foundation, Inc. Robert & Cynthia Hart Nick Brandt CHASE Africa* The Elephant Foundation* Princess Catherine Aga Khan Robert Cargill* International Monetary Fund DJ&T Foundation Chester Zoo* Sebastien Firmenich Natalie Aitchison Pablo Carrillo Neen and Kirk Koenigsbauer The D.N. Batten Foundation Combined Federal Campaign Members Christina Fluegel Albert Amato* Marie Casteillo La Passerelle Conservation Sofie Kirk Kristiansen Jon Cummings & Holly Hegener Nicholas & L'Anne Gilman AmazonSmile Shoppers Alexander Chanler Leon Judah Blackmore Foundation* Sheldrick Wildlife Trust* Electric Forest LLC Glassman Family Fund Nancy April Andrew Chen Peter & Eleanor Nalle / Knox Family Foundation UN Development Programme / Global Fairview Foundation Romain Hatchuel Loryn Arkow Shannon Chierichella Odysseys Unlimited Environment Facility* Farvue Foundation Health Yetu Foundation* Kimberly & Tylor Armstrong Peter & Gabrielle Churchouse* Kent Olson US Agency for International Development* ForRangers* Douglas & Shoshana Himmel Greg Asciolla City Cantabile Choir Part Time Rangers* Zoo Basel* John & Carole Garand JW Seagon Group* Scott Asen Karen D. Clark Pavilion Foundation* Great Plains Foundation* James Klosty Timothy Baker* Leslie Conant Quagga Green $50,000+ Highland School & Families Christine Koski The Benevity Community Impact Fund* Suzanne Ivey Cook* Roar Africa, LLC LEAD Ranger* Catherine Berclaz Elizabeth Cramer Acton Family Giving Kilbourne Family Jim Rosten Riki Kane Larimer Alan Bernstein & Carol Bowen Mary K. Crow Jane & Michael Agg* Kinetic Six* Theodore & Phyllis Swindells Laura J. Niles Foundation Madzy Besselaar Colleen Crowley Arlene & Arnold Goldstein Charitable Trust Diane Krause Tamarack Foundation Terry & Constance Marbach Betsy Bosak Charitable Fund D and K Hadley Donor Advisor Fund The Beitel Family Fund The Maue Kay Foundation Erika & Alex Washburn Mitchell D. Phaiah Foundation Bernhard Birk* Karen Davidson Elephant Gin Mellmann Foundation* Christian Webster Samantha Mogul Eric Bischoff Susan Dawson The Giorgi Family Foundation Gérald Meyer Nancy-Carroll Draper Charitable Foundation Catherine Blackburn Lynn Dickason Brian & Diane Langstraat David Michaels Paul and Marian Gerhart Charitable Fund Peter & Lisa Blackwell Disney Conservation Fund Leila and Mickey Straus Family Foundation Saving the Wild* $5,000+ The Rabins Family Jacqueline A. Bogle Robert Douglas Steve Mackie* Anonymous Bruce Schnitzer & Alexandra Champalimaud Louise Booth Christine Duca Manitou Fund $10,000+ Anonymous* Rebecca Seltzer Robert Boyar & Barbara Mitchell MD Reece Duca Oakland Zoo Anna Merz Rhino Trust* David Beatty* John Slater Orla Brady Christopher Edgette The Ogilvie Family* Anonymous* Beauval Nature* Stichting Ouwehands Zoo Foundation Sharon Brain* The Edwynn Houk Gallery The Rees-Jones Foundation Boylston Family Foundation Barbara Benkelberg William Strozier Dean Braus Elephant Family Rolf and Elizabeth Rosenthal Family Foundation Katie Brown The Blackie Fund The Sursock Family Nicholas Bridges Linda P. Elliott Thin Green Line Foundation* Capricorn Foundation* Thomas Boudreau Charles & Judy Tate Brito Family Foundation Katherine Ellsworth Barry & Jody Turkus David Champion Bush & Beyond* Daniel & Jeanette Turkus Edwin & Julie Broaddus Cailey Heaps Estrin* Tusk Trust* Deborah & Kirk Clothier Cynthia Calderon Jeffrey Drezner Canada Helps * Christine Walter David Broadley* Louise & Terry Field* The Foundation for the Promotion of Chyulu Hills Conservation Trust / REDD+ Project* Lance Williams & Grant Kretchik Frances Bruchez Maria Flaque 30 Gregory Wong* Victoria Brunn Jeffrey & Robin Fleck 31 Rhonda & Chuck Fletcher Kathryn Florio Alison Mezey Robert Simpson Mark Florman* Andrea Micheluzzi Debra Skelton Caroline Forgason Ross Moore Ann Smith Alyne Fortgang Mark & Kathleen Morehouse John Smith & Jane Michaelides-Smith Michael Frankel Melinda Mueller * Catherine Soltesz Thank you for all of your Neil Gader Wendy Nacht & John Motulsky Richard Somers support. We couldn't do Walter Giles Jenny Nicklin Seldon Cramer Speers Michael Gordon Ninety Percent* Temple St. Clair this without you. Great Plains Conservation* Nitorum Capital Jeremy Stein Dale Greene Debbie Odom Debra Stevens & Scott Jackson GreenTech Awards Lorain S. Olsen Nils-Olav Stockinger* The Haberman Foundation Wendy Kay Oppenheimer The Sulica Fund Gordon Haddow Jessica Ostrow Johan Svarts Ken Hanley* Megan Pacetti Randy & Liz Sweney Dianne Hayman * Parc Animalier d'Auvergne Daniel Switkin David & Amanda Hazel Robert & Inmi Patterson Bryan Syrdal Jean Hazel Peter Fogliano & Hal Lester Foundation Paul Takats Ruth Hazel The Phillip & Julia Chin Family Charitable Fund Dimpsy Teckchandani J. Lee Ballen Living Trust Justin Pietsch Troy Tegeler Jacob Jaber Mary Ellen Pisanelli Chris Threatt James T. Nystrom Foundation David Potel & Nancy Blum Diana & Gordon Tracz Patricia K. Joanides Quentin Prebble* Rory & Treena Trustham * Tracye Jorgensen* Ashley & Steven Quamme Susan Turner* Nathan & Sofia Kelly Tom Quinn Vaughan W. Brown Family Foundation Dianne Kendall Karthik Ramamurthy Guido Vero Chris Kennedy Randi Reichel Judge Evan J. Wallach & Dr. Katherine C. Tobin Keitha Kinne Christopher Renaud The Warfield Family Ansel Kinney Amy Richards Jennifer A. Waters Jordan Kircher Hayley Ringrose* Frank & Joan Waters Erik Klemenz Lynne Rittiner Khristin Wierman Matthew Kurek Joan & Joseph Roberti Wildlife Conservation Network Alida Latham DJ Rogers William A. Hazel Family Foundation LeeAnn Baker Interiors LTD Harvey & Constance Rubin Anna Winand Thomas & Allison Levyn Carl Safina Winnick Family Foundation Jennifer Loucks David Sandberg Gerald & Anita Wiseman Stacy Lucas Carola Sapper Leila Woehrle Jean Mallary Chris Sattler Ann & Neil Wolff Albert Manville II & Sandy Scholar Sauvez les Elephants d'Afrique William Wood Rebecca Martin Douglas Schiffman Bonny & Alan Wright Sonia Jimenez Martin Alison Scott Suki Xia Adrienne Maynard Preetha Seenivasan Joshua Yoselevsky Therese McCarty Bradley Shain & Young Kim Erdem Yurdanur & Family* Eric McNulty Debra Shannon Sonja Zabienski 32 Kevin McQuillan Georgia Simon Jeffrey Zelikson b i g l i f e . o r g
Big Life Foundation USA | 1715 North Heron Drive | Ridgefield, WA 98642 | USA | [email protected]