11/02/2024
Olonyok and Winda – two males from the famous Mara coalition Tano Bora recently turned 10 years old, which is a very significant age for nature. Living together has a number of advantages, such as bringing down a wide variety of prey – from hares to adult Topi. Therefore, there is always a risk of getting hurt by sharp horns or getting injured by the tusks of a warthog protecting piglets. Olonyok is a very successful hunter, but despite his wealth of experience, he has not escaped injury. When we found the males three days ago, Olonyok had an open wound on his right hind limb, but he was active and leading Winda. We notified the park management and veterinarians and continued to monitor the males. The next day it became clear that Olonyok’s condition had deteriorated significantly – he was lying down all the time and did not follow Winda during the hunt. We prefer not to interfere if the cheetah can successfully hunt and fend for itself in the event of danger. But in some cases it is necessary to assist the cheetah with non-invasive methods so that he has the opportunity to regain his strength. Dr. Njoroge quickly responded and provided emergency assistance, remotely administering an antibiotic and anti-inflammatory. Winda was nearby all the time. The next day, Olonyok was active and the swelling in his hind limb had gone down significantly. Today, there was no swelling and Olonyok has resumed his role as a leader and decision maker. The males spent the daytime in a closed area, and with the onset of darkness began to move. We are very grateful to the park management and the team of David Sheldrick for the prompt assistance to the cheetah. To conserve a species, many factors are important to consider, including habitat conservation, but with only about 7,000 cheetahs left in the wild, the life of each cheetah plays an important role in the conservation of the species.
