12/21/2023
Osidai (Handsome in Maa) is a 7-year-old male who got his name due to his strength, durability and outstanding survival skills. The harsh events of his life have left marks on his face in the form of scratches and gray skin around the eyes. Therefore, his name can be interpreted as “Outstanding.” After reaching the age of independence, young cheetahs disperse into the Mara-Serengeti ecosystem. Females tend to live within the home range of their mothers, while males migrate over long distances. This is an effective mechanism for avoiding inbreeding. Wherein some cheetahs remain in the Mara, others go to Tanzania. Osidai was the only one out of 5 Miale’s cubs, born in 2016, that she raised to independence. Soon after separating from his mother, the young male found a partner – Olchorre, who had lost his brother 3 weeks before. The new union lasted less than 5 months – Olchorre appeared alone, and Miale’s son gone missing. In August 2022, he appeared in the Reserve after 4.5 years, which became the longest absence of a cheetah that we recorded in the Mara! Unfortunately, at that time he was affected by Sarcoptic mange – a highly contagious mite infection caused by Sarcoptes scabiei burrowing under the skin of domestic and wild mammals. It took him a year to begin to recover, and now, in December 2023, he looks healthy and strong again, fully living up to its name. Osidai is in reproductive age and we hope he will contribute to the gene pool of the Mara cheetahs.
