08/01/2024

Rangers are the unsung heroes of wildlife conservation, dedicating their lives to protecting the planet’s most vulnerable species and habitats. They patrol vast, often dangerous terrains, deter poachers, monitor wildlife populations, and engage with local communities to foster a culture of conservation. Their work is physically demanding and requires a deep commitment to preserving nature for future generations. Without their tireless efforts, many species and ecosystems would face even greater threats from human encroachment and environmental changes.
In the Maasai Mara, these courageous rangers play a critical role in maintaining the delicate balance of this iconic ecosystem. They tirelessly patrol the savannah, safeguarding the myriad species that call it home, from the majestic elephants to elusive leopards. Their vigilance helps to prevent poaching and mitigate human-wildlife conflicts, ensuring that the Mara remains a sanctuary for wildlife. The rangers’ deep knowledge of the land and its inhabitants is indispensable, and their dedication is evident in the thriving biodiversity of the region. Thanks to the relentless efforts of the Mara rangers, female cheetahs have raised numerous litters. In many cases, it was with their help that injured cheetahs recovered successfully.
Among these dedicated rangers, the Cheetah Monitoring and Protection Team stands out for their specialized efforts in protecting one of the Mara’s most vulnerable and iconic species, the cheetah in the Maasai Mara National Reserve. Since last September, they have been closely monitoring Nashipai and her four cubs, ensuring their safety from predators and human interference. Thanks to their tireless dedication, Nashipai’s cubs have grown into strong, capable young cheetahs, ready to face the challenges of the wild. We are proud to work closely with the Сonservancies and the Reserve rangers, shoulder to shoulder, every day for over 12 years, helping them to conserve one of the planet’s iconic species – the cheetah.

07/24/2024

Cheetahs are remarkably adaptable to life in a wide variety of habitats, and are able to hunt and raise their young successfully not only in the open fields, but also in hard-to-reach places, such as hills covered with dense vegetation. Such a habitat helps the female and her cubs to hide for a long time from disturbance by predators and humans. With a rich natural food base and the tolerant attitude of the local population towards predators, a female cheetah with cubs can spend considerable time in close proximity to the boma, feeling completely safe, watching people and livestock, while hunting wild animals in the forest. Such adaptations are important for cubs, who after reaching independence, have to look for suitable habitats. Each generation of ancestors contributes to the development of survival skills. The great-great-grandmother of 4-year-old Siankiki – Amani, was the most successful female in the Mara – she raised 9 cubs in 4 litters to independence. Siankiki’s mother, Sila, had a unique skill – she successfully hunted Impalas in the rocky hills. While raising three cubs of her own in 2020, Sila accepted into the family her younger brother, after his mother Selenkei had raised him to independence. Siankiki developed interesting strategy for raising her litter – she spent the day in an open area, often near a village, and then hunted in the forest, in the mountains, and stayed there for one or two days after feeding. This secretive forest lifestyle most likely explains the fact that the female began to be seen regularly only after the cubs grew up and became able to escape from the lion and hyenas. Since early 2024, we have been receiving reports from rangers that they have occasionally encountered a female with very shy cubs in the mountains of Ol Chorro Conservancy, and it was not possible to approach them for a good photo, which would help us to identify the mother. In March 2024, both rangers and guides began encountering a female with 7–8-month-old cubs in the open areas. The rangers of the conservancies, who have been following the family since its appearance, named the female Siankiki (Young Lady Who Married Recently, in Maa), following the tradition of naming by the first letter of the mother’s name (Sila). Now that the cubs have started their independent life, the rangers have given them names in the Maa language following the same tradition: the male was named Serian (Safety), and his sisters – Sainapei (Successful woman) and Silantoi (God’s Gift). We hope that the skills learnt from their mother will help three young cheetahs settle in the Mara and continue the lineage of Amani and their distant ancestor in the 7th generation – Shakira.

03/18/2024

Interspecific territorial competition with successful and stronger predators forces cheetahs in a coalition to employ different survival strategies. For example, do not hunt if a lion, leopard or hyena is spotted at a distance, kill two antelopes at the same time so that if one prey is taken away by kleptoparasites, the other will be eaten by the hunters. Or share a meal with a hyena, saving energy for the fight, in which in any case the hyena will emerge victorious. Having noticed resting adult cheetahs, hyenas approach to check if there is anything to profit from, and usually leave for good after a while. However, some individuals attack adult cheetahs, driving them away from their resting place. A hyena’s display of aggressive behavior ends in the hyena’s victory, increasing its self-confidence. Although such phenomena are rarely observed, such events occur frequently in nature. A year ago in the evening, we watched two hyenas persistently chase Nashipai, and on March 16, a hyena chased two males – Winda and Olonyok. With age, cheetahs’ hearing weakens. Perhaps the January injury to one ear (despite treatment) could also be the reason why Olonyok did not hear the approach of the hyena and the preemptive hiss of his coalition-mate in time.

In search of salvation, some cheetahs climb trees and spend hours there, not deciding to come down even when the hyenas have left the place. This was the case with the female Miale, who was fleeing from a group of hyenas, and Kisaru’s son, Lekisaru, who waited out the night after the death of his mother, sitting high in a tree. And it appears that Olonyok didn’t just climb the tree on March 16 to mark or inspect the area. He looked anxious, and only came down at 18:15 to join Winda, with whom he finished the fawn of Thomson gazelle. When the hyena reappeared on the spot, the cheetahs had already finished eating and were resting nearby. Having finished eating the rest, the hyena drove the cheetahs away from the resting place and immediately after that left, thus showing its superiority. These two males from the Tano Bora coalition are now 9.5 years old, and every day they find it more difficult to survive. Living as a couple helps them share vigilance and food. Considering that the average lifespan of male cheetahs is about 3 years, Winda and Olonyok are doing well.

03/03/2024

Home ranges of male and female cheetahs overlap, and, on the one hand, different males encounter each other, but on the other hand, males have the opportunity to meet different females. Meetings between males often result in fights, in which some cheetahs may get injured. On January 26, Mpaka, who is roaming mainly in the Triangle and Serengeti, encountered two males from the Tano Bora coalition on their territory in the Reserve. Both Winda and Olonyok attacked the intruder, but eventually Mpaka was the only male who wasn’t hurt! Both coalition-mates, were limping after the brawl, and Olonyok’s ear was seriously damaged. In conditions of fierce competition, especially with coalitions, some lonely males not only manage to survive, but also to reproduce. One of these males was Olchorre, who, having lost his littermate, once created a temporary alliance with the son of Miale, and who at the at the age of 7 years, managed to mate with two different females in the territory of two male coalitions within 2 weeks! In early February, 2024 another single male, approximately 4-year-old Olbarikoi (on Maa “light color”) came from conservancies to the territory of the Reserve and also managed to successfully mate with an 8.5-year-old female Neema (daughter of Rani, granddaughter of Shakira). Neema also had the opportunity at different times to meet with coalitions (Milele and Mbili, Tano Bora) and different floaters including mating with both coalition males and singletons – Olchorre and Olbarikoi. With productive mating, different males have a chance to enrich the genetic pool of the cheetah population. And in some cases, it is even easier for a single male to mate, since he is not disturbed by his coalition partner. Early May will reveal whether mating was successful.

02/13/2024

Maasai Mara and we have suffered a great loss – on February 12, our colleague and friend Tipayo Mpoke Oloisuya, our dear Jonah, suddenly passed away of a heart attack. As a true Ranger, he died at work, while monitoring cheetahs to whom he was devoted wholeheartedly. Johnah has become the Chief Ranger of the new Cheetah Monitoring and Protection Team formed by Narok County, which we have been working with since day one. Thanks to the hard work of the team, and to a large extent to Johnah’s uncompromising, strong character, his responsibility and passion for cheetahs, Nashipai saved all four cubs, which happened in the Reserve for the first time since the 2020 lockdown. Jonah always took animal welfare matters to heart, caring deeply for every animal he monitored. The last month has been especially difficult. At first, the female Kisaru, with whom the team spent many days, died, and Jonah participated in the rescue of her cub Lekisaru, sincerely rejoicing that the cub remained in the Mara. And since yesterday, he has been tirelessly monitoring Olonyok after treating his injury. Jonah was very worried about the future of the male. In his big and kind heart there was enough room for everyone, man and animals. And it’s impossible to believe that this wonderful heart has stopped forever. On behalf of our team, I offer my deepest condolences to Jonah’s family, relatives, colleagues and friends. I am proud and grateful for the opportunity to work with such a wonderful person, learn, share and experience victories and sorrows together. And keeping the bright memory of you, we, together with your colleagues, will continue to preserve the cheetahs of the Mara, whom you sincerely loved and to whom you devoted so much effort and care. Blessed memory of you, you will always be with us.