Reporting from Kenya and not 221B Baker Street, meet Holmes and Watson, our newly named tracker puppies.

Thanks to our wonderful donors' incredible creativity and support, we received over 200 name suggestions. It was a tough choice, but our rangers have spoken, and these enthusiastic puppies will soon start learning their new names.

Our energetic additions are training diligently and will soon be integral to our anti-poaching efforts, continuing the vital legacy of Bonnie and Clyde. With their keen senses and boundless energy, Holmes and Watson will play a crucial role in protecting the magnificent biodiversity of the Greater Amboseli ecosystem.

The kind support of our donors has not only named these wonderful pups but has also equipped them—and their ranger handlers—to safeguard wildlife and wild lands.

Stay tuned for updates on their progress and the incredible difference they’re making.

Photo: Joshua Clay

You know what they say: when one door closes, another one opens. And that’s certainly true for our tracker dog program.

While we are sad to say goodbye to Bonnie and Clyde, we also have an exciting announcement: two new tracker dogs are joining the team! Two male Malinois puppies will go through standard obedience and more in-depth tracker dog training. 

Clyde will help mentor them until they’re fully operational, and then he’ll join Bonnie in retirement.

As we welcome these two eager new recruits to our Tracker Dog Unit, we're committed to providing them with the highest level of care, training, and support.

Will you help?

Your donation will directly contribute to the essentials that will help these pups thrive—everything from nutritious food and medical care to the training they need to become the next generation of wildlife protectors.

And with your minimum $5 donation, you can help give these puppies their names!

Submit a name suggestion and help give these puppies their identity and support their journey from playful pups to skilled protectors of East Africa’s wildlife, to carry on the incredible legacy of Bonnie and Clyde.

We’ll announce the winning combo next week and will keep you informed of their journey through training.

Let’s give these future heroes the strong start they deserve!

DONATE & SUBMIT YOUR TRACKER DOG NAME IDEAS

Photo: Joshua Clay

Bonnie and Clyde are more than just members of our team; they are true heroes in our fight to protect wildlife. Not only have their incredible tracking skills been instrumental in countless anti-poaching operations and wildlife crime incidents, but they have also been true friends to the Maasai community, always willing to step in to help find a lost child in the bush or assist in solving a community crime.

So it is with a mix of emotions that we share that after nine years of dedicated services, our remarkable canines are shifting into retirement.

Bonnie is already enjoying her well-earned R&R, now off duty at Enasoit, a conservancy and lodge in Laikipia. Clyde will continue to support our rangers until new tracker dogs can be trained.

We are deeply grateful to our donors for providing the resources needed for our tracker dog program over the years.

Thank you for your support today on International Dog Day, and every day!

 Images from: Jeremy Goss, Joshua Clay, Black Bean Productions, and Jane Michaelides-Smith

Ask anyone living in the Greater Amboseli Ecosystem what the most significant conservation-related benefit that they receive from Big Life is, and the answer is nearly unanimous: education.

Recognizing its importance, we have provided more than 1,977 scholarships to children living within our area of operation since 2000.

In 2023 alone, we awarded $369,157 in scholarships, including supporting 14 tertiary-level graduates.

Supporting education doesn’t just mean paying for school fees; Big Life also supports teacher salaries, conducts conservation curriculum in schools, funds school infrastructure projects like dormitories, and implemented a school lunch program during the 2022’s severe drought.

Many of Amboseli’s schools are situated in remote areas. Being able to access these areas in order to implement these programs presented a unique challenge.

To ensure we can reach all the students and schools we sponsor, The Capricorn Foundation generously funded the purchase of a vehicle for Big Life’s education department. In its first year, it has already covered 38,000 km.

Together with our donors and partner organizations like The Capricorn Foundation, we are laying the groundwork for positive transformation throughout the Greater Amboseli Ecosystem, where the future is looking even brighter for its humans and wildlife.

Photo: Joshua Clay