April 1, 2025
Olonyok in Maa language means “The One who puts efforts to achieve better results”. He got this name because, despite the fact that the former leader of the coalition Olpadan often used him as a target for his reverse aggression, Olonyok never gave up and bravely defended his position. When Olpadan temporarily left the group for courtship with females, Olonyok became the leader. Possessing extraordinary hunting skills, he led the coalition on hunts. Only Winda often tried to challenge his primacy. Even when only Winda and Olonyok remained from the entire group, it was the latter who began the hunt. After losing his coalition mates, 10,5-year-old Olonyok is continuing the legacy of the Tano Bora Coalition. The oldest male in the Mara is still patrolling their territory and scent marking. With larger prey now out of his reach, he now hunts medium-sized antelopes – Impalas and Thomson’s gazelles, and has to employ high-speed chase techniques, which is not easy for an old animal. Being a lone cheetah now, he is ensuring extra vigilance and portraying superb survival skills, fully living up to its name.
