July 31, 2025

On #WorldRangerDay, our team was honored to attend the celebrations at Mara Serena Grounds. It’s a special day for us as we celebrate the heroic work of rangers around the globe. Specifically, we want to appreciate the incredible dedication of the Mara Cheetah Unit (MCU). Since its inception, we’ve had the privilege of working alongside them daily, collaborating on cheetah monitoring and protection efforts. We are proud to support the MCU by providing scientific-based training and equipping the team rangers with essential tools like Cheetah identification catalogues, writing materials, cameras, and binoculars, empowering them to carry out their vital work effectively. We’re grateful for this partnership and the tireless commitment of every ranger to protecting wildlife.

On this memorable day, the Narok County Governor H.E. Patrick Ole Ntutu said words that are very important for all of us about our colleague Jona, who stood at the origins of the Mara Cheetah Unit: “Today, we remember Corporal Jona Ole Mpoke – the Hero, who made the ultimate sacrifice. His service went beyond injury; he passed away while on duty. His sacrifice reminds us of the courage our rangers make. This year, the County Government will employe 180 new game rangers, the first of them all being Ole Mpoke’s dependent. May his legacy live forever.” (quote from the MMWCA post)

The ceremony also recognized women rangers who share the difficult and responsible work of protecting nature with men every day, and demonstrate dedication and resilience every day.
The World Ranger Day ceremony was attended by representatives of the County Government of Narok, including H.E Tamalinye Koech (Deputy Governor), Samuel Ole Ndorko (Chief Officer for Tourism and Wildlife), Ole Sikona (Chair, Tourism and Wildlife at the County Assembly of Narok), Ole Kuseren (KWS), Daniel Ole Sopia (CEO, MMWCA), Brian Heath (CEO, Mara Conservancy), rangers from the Maasai Mara National Reserve and different Mara conservancies, Dr. Ashif Yusuf (Veterinarian, Mara Conservancy) and members of the Mara Hyena Project and Mara Elephant Project. We all shared our working methods and discoveries with the distinguished guests and discussed further plans for the study and preservation of the Mara.

© Mara-Meru Cheetah Project (MMCP). All observations, images and videos in this post are our own unless stated otherwise. Please credit appropriately when sharing

July 29, 2025

Cheetahs migrate freely within the Mara-Serengeti ecosystem, and therefore new cheetahs appear in the Mara every 3-4 months. These are mainly young males who have begun to explore new territories.

In early March, a new male appeared in the Maasai Mara National Reserve and was subsequently observed in areas from the Sand River to the middle of the reserve. Initially, the male was shy, but like his predecessors, he is getting used to the tour vehicles. Our long-term observations allow us to conclude that in order to be successful in the Mara, cheetahs must be tolerant of the presence of tour vehicles. Then they will be able to successfully hunt, rest, find partners and raise offspring.

Unlike females, males live much less – on average 3 years. Our Cheetah Monitoring Unit team named the young male Obik, which in the Maa language means Long-Living. Four days ago, we observed a swelling of unclear etiology on the left side of Obik’s muzzle. Close monitoring showed that the abscess had opened and the swelling had almost completely gone down. We have repeatedly observed cheetahs recovering on their own from sarcoptic mange (male Osidai and female Maridadi), deep wounds (female Imani) and injuries (male Milele and female Nashipae). Both before and after the abscess appeared, Obik hunted successfully. 4 days ago we observed him not far from Nashipae’s daughter Nempiris, and today very close to Nashipae. We hope that he too will be able to contribute to the gene pool of the Mara.

© Mara-Meru Cheetah Project (MMCP). All observations, images and videos in this post are our own unless stated otherwise. Please credit appropriately when sharing

July 19, 2025

Cheetahs are beautiful and popular models for both beginners and professional photographers. But let’s think about the difference between the model in the human world and the animal world. For a photo model, posing all day for the best shot is not an easy task. However, after a hard day at work, the “model” goes home, where he/she is safe and where a delicious dinner and a full rest to restore energy await him/her. In the wild, food and rest are not guaranteed for the “model”, but are critical to its survival.

Unlike conservancies, where there are mainly 2 safaris (morning and evening), in the Reserve tourists are active full day till late evening. Animals need to find time and opportunity to hunt, eat and rest without disturbance. Moreover, daytime sleep is vital for a cheetah, especially for a female with cubs, in order to be vigilant at night when other predators are active. Fatigue and lack of sleep can cost cheetahs their lives.

A cheetah in its natural habitat has many tasks: finding prey, mates, safe places to eat prey, resting and raising offspring. Among predators, the cheetah is the most vulnerable, and many animals often affect its well-being. For example, elephants, buffaloes, zebras, ostriches, warthogs, jackals, and baboons often drive cheetahs away from their resting places and prey. And hyenas, lions and less often leopards, in addition, kill cheetahs. Therefore, it is not easy for a cheetah to survive in nature.

By observing cheetahs in the Mara ecosystem, where tourism is active year-round, we found that in order to be successful here, cheetahs must be tolerant of the presence of tourist cars. Cheetahs, tolerant to the vehicles are able to rest properly, hunt productively, reproduce and raise offspring successfully. Cheetahs from outside Mara (from the unprotected lands and from the Serengeti) are shy and show increased anxiety when cars appear. However, for the cheetahs to succeed, we all need to help them. When you arrive in the Mara and meet a cheetah, remember that there are only 7,000 of them left on the entire African continent, and that you may have met the oldest male, or a young and inexperienced female who has yet to contribute to the population of the ecosystem. And each individual is very important for the entire species! It’s not hard to help a cheetah live and thrive: just help the rangers and follow these rules:

July 19, 2025

Siligi was born in Tanzania and first appeared in the Mara in May 2016 with her sister Maridadi and a brother Olpadan. Olpadan became a world-famous male who became the leader of four unrelated males for 3.5 years, leading the largest coalition ever observed in the Mara. Siligi became famous for being the first female in the Mara to emerge from a den with 7 cubs. Of all seven, she raised one female Naado to independence. In April 2021, she gave birth at Simba area of the Maasai-Mara National Reserve (MMNR), and in the end of June lost one cub to lions, and later in the year one more cub – a female. While raising her three remaining cubs – males, she spent most of the time in Northern Serengeti with short visits to Sopa and the Sand River-Sopa areas of the MMNR. In August 2022, we observed Siligi with her three sons, followed by 4-year-old Jasiri (son of Amani). In three months, she gave birth but lost all cubs within the first month. Her three sons appeared from Serengeti 11 months later – in July 2023 in the Mara Triangle and started exploring the Mara.

By 2025, Siligi’s Sons have firmly established their reign across the entire Mara Conservancy (Triangle) and the borderlands connecting the Maasai Mara National Reserve and the Serengeti. Three strong brothers M144-Osiligi (Hope), M142-Olopono (Notch), and M143-Oldanyet (He Who Breaks Through), share vigilance, hunt and feed together, and defend their vast territory as a unified force. When the prey is relatively small (Impala), they eat in turns to avoid fighting and attracting attention of other predators.

Osiligi leads the coalition’s movements and marking, often deciding when to walk or rest and keeping small kills to himself. Olopono, identified by his notched ear, consistently follows Osiligi’s lead, reinforcing marks and territory. Meanwhile, Oldanyet strives to prove his worth, often lagging behind but strengthening the group’s bonds through grooming and loyalty. Together, they embody the power of kinship and cooperation in one of Africa’s most fiercely contested landscapes.

From 2024 to date, 4 coalitions of males had visited the Mara Triangle, including 3 males from Ol Chorro and two coalitions of two males each, but the Sons of Siligi had become the dominant. As long as they are roaming in the Serengeti, other males, including singletons, have a chance to spend time in the Triangle.

We have included identification sheets here so that you can identify each male in this coalition yourself as you observe them.

© Mara-Meru Cheetah Project (MMCP). All observations, images and videos in this post are our own unless stated otherwise. Please credit appropriately when sharing

July 17, 2025

The wildebeest migration brings abundance and opportunity, and Olonyok is making the most of it. With thousands of wildebeests flooding the plains, food is plentiful, and competition among predators is lower than usua, giving male cheetahs like Olonyok the perfect chance to thrive.
Today, Olonyok successfully hunted and fed on a young wildebeest, leaving the remains to the ever-vital vultures that help keep the ecosystem clean and balanced.

© MMCP. All observations, images and videos in this post are our own unless stated otherwise. Please credit appropriately if sharing