It is with much sadness that we announce that Clyde, the stalwart of our tracker dog unit, has passed away.

Bonnie and Clyde were two bloodhound siblings who were part of the fabric of Big Life for almost a decade. Since his sister Bonnie retired last year, Clyde had been holding the fort, going out on his daily patrols and responding to emergencies when called.

Unfortunately, his health started to deteriorate a few months ago. After another recent bout of illness, the vet confirmed our fears. It was cancer. Clyde went in for surgery that he did not wake up from.

Clyde was adored by all, his booming howls and infinite friendliness greeting anyone who visited Big Life’s HQ. His literal superhuman abilities have been instrumental in countless anti-poaching operations, wildlife crime incidents, and cases of community theft. He has saved many people’s lives by finding them in the bush when no human could, and his fearsome reputation has prevented many would-be poachers.

While we are very sad at Clyde’s passing his legacy will continue, with Holmes and Watson, who will soon be rejoining Big Life after their training in Tanzania.

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

And we thank Clyde, for everything he did for the wildlife and people of Amboseli.

Photo: Jeremy Goss