Born Free Kenya Profile 2026 by BornFree

ABOUT US

Founded by Dame Virginia McKenna, Will Travers OBE, and Bill Travers MBE in 1984, we work tirelessly to stop the exploitation and suffering of wild animals, whether living in captivity or in the wild. From the start, we’ve campaigned for a future where people and wildlife can coexist and where threatened and endangered species are protected for generations to come.

Registered in 2003, Born Free Foundation Kenya is dedicated to protecting wildlife through collaboration with communities, government, and local partners. We engage in hands-on wildlife conservation and deliver educational programmes to schools and communities. Our initiatives include reducing human-wildlife conflict, habitat protection, habitat restoration, community welfare, and wildlife monitoring. Our goal is to promote sustainable human-wildlife coexistence between people and wildlife.

OUR MISSION AND PURPOSE

Our purpose is to keep wildlife in the wild. We aim to create a kinder, more compassionate world, where wild animals are no longer exploited, and people and wildlife live alongside each other in harmony and without conflict.

OUR VALUES

Integrity - Honesty based on strong moral principles.

Team Spirit - A group of people collaborating to achieve common goals.

Kindness - Friendly, compassionate, generous, and considerate.

Courage - Undeterred by difficult challenges. Determined to succeed against the odds.

Ambition - A shared ambition to keep wild animals in the wild.

Impact - Driven by a unified culture, and common goals and plans to deliver change.

OUR OBJECTIVES

Work with communities living with wildlife to reduce conflict with wild animals, protect wildlife habitats, and promote sustainable human-wildlife coexistence. End the exploitation, suffering, and killing of wild animals for entertainment and trade by engaging, educating, and empowering society.

Advocate for new or improved policies and legislation to end the exploitation, suffering, and killing of wild animals, strengthen measures aimed at delivering the long term, sustainable protection of wildlife habitats, and secure greater resourcing for the enforcement of all relevant laws.

OUR AREAS OF OPERATION IN KENYA

Meru Conservation Area: Communities surrounding Meru Conservation Areas (MCA) 4,000 km²comprising Meru National Park (870 km²), Kora National Park (1,788 km²), Bisanadi National Reserve (608 km²) and Mwingi National Reserve (745 km²).

Amboseli West-Kilimanjaro Ecosystem: Communities within the Amboseli West-Kilimanjaro Ecosystem on the Kenya-Tanzania border. Approx. 6,500 km², comprising Amboseli National Park, the surrounding community land and Enduimet Wildlife Management Area.

BORN FREE’S KEY ACHIEVEMENTS

4444 kms covered in foot patrols

2174 snares removed

WILDLIFE MONITORING & PROTECTION

92 lions identified in 4 prides

635 reticulated giraffes identified

476 elephants identified

347 beehives installed

453 predator-proof bomas built

approx. 7899 reached through sports for conservation

OUR VOICE IN THE COMMUNITY

1438 village savings and loans associations (VSLAs) members

650 conservation club members in 13 schools

approx. 194,000 beneficiaries of the water project

CONSERVING OUTSTANDING LANDSCAPES

approx. 9300 people reached through medical camps organised across 6 locations

approx. 45,000 trees planted

PROMOTING HUMAN-WILDLIFE COEXISTENCE

422 water storage tanks distributed 7976 energy saving stoves distributed

529 solar lamps distributed

2209 predator deterrent lights installed

WILDLIFE MONITORING & PROTECTION

Lions, giraffes and elephants are highly threatened b expansion for agriculture and settlements occurs at a effective, and humane conservation solutions in col a peaceful co-existence.

Wildlife Species Monitoring

Effective wildlife management starts with precise data. In Meru National Park, our unique identification (ID) system tracks key species, providing insights into their populations. We have identified 92 lions in 4 prides and 2 coalitions, 476 elephants in 9 families, and 635 reticulated giraffes. This data reveals behaviour and

Meru National Park to conduct de-snaring patrols and monitor other illegal activities, while also engaging communities to address root causes. This has resulted in the removal of 2,174 deadly snares, preventing injury and death of countless animals, making the landscape safer for wildlife.

PROMOTING HUMAN-WILDLIFE COEXISTENCE

As human settlements expand and natural habitats shrink, encounters between communities and wildlife are becoming more frequent. For people living alongside elephants, lions, and other wildlife, these encounters can lead to crop damage, livestock loss, property damage, and injury or tragic loss of life for both humans and animals. It is important to address this critical point of friction. We have implemented a suite of targeted tools designed to proactively reduce conflict and foster coexistence.

Predator - Proof Bomas (PPBs)

These are reinforced enclosures used to protect livestock overnight from predators like lions, hyenas, and cheetahs. They are constructed from sturdy metal poles and chain-link fencing. To date, we have constructed 453 PPBs in Amboseli - West Kilimanjaro and Meru Conservation Areas. In addition, we distribute solar lamps to provide lighting, energy-saving stoves to reduce firewood collection and habitat degradation, and water tanks for water storage.

Predator Deterrent Lights (PDLs)

Predator deterrent lights are small solar-powered lights that flicker intermittently. They are placed along the perimeter of livestock enclosures (bomas) to simulate human presence and disrupt predators' night vision, deterring them from targeting livestock. To date, 2209 PDLs have been installed across the two conservation areas.

Beehive Fences

These beehives, linked with wires and placed around crop farms, form a natural barrier that deters elephants from raiding farms. This innovative project, implemented in the Meru Conservation Area is helping communities live peacefully alongside elephants. So far, 347 beehives have been installed, leading to a significant drop in crop losses. Farmers also benefit from harvesting honey, creating an alternative source of income while protecting their livelihoods.

Human-Elephant Conflict Toolkit

We are implementing a human-elephant conflict toolkit with proven, cost-effective strategies like noise deterrents, unpalatable crops, and light deterrents to prevent elephant crop raids. This toolkit has been distributed to over 300 community members in the Meru Conservation Area, who are actively implementing these techniques.

Elephant Behaviour Workshops

Through community participation in puppetry, we entertain, educate and engage to keep people and elephants safe. Puppetry enables us to sensitise people on how to live with elephants. By re-enacting common elephant encounters, we help people avoid injury, property damage, and fatalities.

CONSERVING OUTSTANDING LANDSCAPES

Water Resource Conservation

In partnership with the Water Resources Authority, we promote water conservation in Meru Conservation Area through community participation. We advocate for regulated water use to maintain ecological flow and minimise wildlife encroachment into human areas, leading to reduced human-wildlife conflict. Our water project has reached approximately 194,000 beneficiaries directly and indirectly.

Tree Growing

Tree growing contributes to habitat restoration and protection, and the provision of alternative income through fruit harvesting. We supply the community with indigenous varieties that are suitable and ecologically appropriate for the area. We have distributed approximately 45,000 trees to our partner schools and communities in Amboseli and Meru.

One Health

One Health is a holistic approach that enhances the health of people, animals, and the environment. In collaboration with health stakeholders and the County Government of Meru, we improve health services access and support sustainable natural resource management. Approximately 9,300 individuals have benefitted from this initiative.

OUR VOICE IN THE COMMUNITY

Lasting conservation is not an external mandate, but a shared commitment that must speak with the community's own voice. Our work, therefore, begins by listening, learning, and then empowering local voices to become the most effective advocates for their environment. By engaging directly through dynamic platforms, we build common ground and foster collective ownership. These initiatives ensure the conservation message is not just heard, but lived, championed, and passed forward from parents to students.

Sports for Conservation Community Baraza

Born Free and Kenya Wildlife Service teams play volleyball and football with communities facing human-wildlife conflict. Each match is followed by a discussion and a cleanup activity. This relaxed, informal setting helps us connect with communities, address conservation and social challenges, and find joint solutions. To date, we've engaged approximately 7,899 people through this initiative.

We engage 650 students, aged 10 to 18 years, across 13 schools in Meru and Amboseli. Our clubs follow a conservation curriculum that aligns with national education standards and Born Free's focus areas. The curriculum is designed to address wildlife and environmental issues through fun, engaging, and thought-provoking activities that keep students interested in conservation.

Engaging with communities through talks, practical activities and focus group discussions, we aim to impart knowledge on wildlife conservation to bring about behaviour change. Born Free recognises that, with the right knowledge, people are more inclined to take actions that conserve the environment on which they depend for their livelihoods, while maintaining the delicate ecological balance necessary for ecosystem health.

The VSLA model is a self-managed and selfcapitalised microfinance methodology. By having its members mobilise local pools of investment finance, it offers savings, insurance, and credit services in markets outside the reach of formal institutions. With 1438 members in 63 groups across Amboseli and Meru, VSLAs enhance community resilience to livelihood shifts and threats.

Conservation Clubs

Village Savings and Loans Associations (VSLAs)

SUPPORT WILDLIFE CONSERVATION

In partnership with Born Free Kenya, you can support communities and help save threatened species. Your generous donation will fund human-wildlife mitigation tools, support schools and communities in Amboseli and Meru Conservation Areas.

How can YOU get involved?

Your donation today could help fund:

Predator-proof bomas & predator-deterrent lights keeping livestock and wildlife safe. Implementation of conservation activities in the water-catchment areas.

Infrastructure for our partner schools i.e. classrooms.

Furniture for students and their teachers i.e. desks and chairs.

Equipment for the anti-poaching patrols i.e. GPS, radios.

Wildlife tracking and monitoring tools and software i.e. camera traps, collars, binoculars, night vision.

Distribution of beehives and human-elephant conflict toolkits.

Outreaches i.e. animal behaviour workshops, clean-up exercises, football and volleyball tournaments.

Haba na haba, hujaza kibaba!