Success Story

A DAY IN THE LIFE OF AN ANTI-POACHING RANGERBig Life's brave Maasai rangers put their lives on the line daily to protect endangered wildlife from poachers and other threats. Here is a glimpse into a typical day:6am - A ranger wakes at a remote outpost where he serves for 3 weeks at a stretch with a unit of 4-12 rangers. He drinks a cup of hot, sweet tea before setting out on patrol.9am - The ranger's unit encounters a herd of elephants and notices that one elephant is dragging a leg, suffering from multiple spear wounds. A mobile vet team is called to the scene. The rangers stay with the wounded elephant until it has been treated, revived, and rejoined its family.1pm - A ranger finds and destroys a deadly snare intended to kill one of the critically-endangered Eastern black rhinos under his unit's 24-hour protection. Another ranger collects data from a nearby camera trap for later analysis.3pm - The rangers play a game of hide-and-seek in a tracker dog drill designed to keep skills and senses well-honed. The dogs have an incredible sense of smell and easily find them every time.7pm - Someone reports a baby elephant trapped in a water hole. The rangers rush to pull the baby out of the hole, then deliver it into the hands of caregivers for medical attention.11pm - No rest for the weary. Rangers respond to a call for help as elephants invade the crops of a nearby community farm. It's no easy task convincing a hungry elephant that this corn was not grown for him, but that's exactly what the rangers must do in order to prevent deadly retaliation.1am - Finally, sleep. In the morning, with your support, they will rise and start the cycle all over again.