UPDATE, 14th FEBRUARY 2022: On 13th February, Olarishani, a member of the Nne bora (form the original Tano Bora Cheetah coalition was discovered by guides lying down and in pain. He was seriously injured and vets were called to come and attend to him. Unfortunately, he succumbed to what appeared to be internal injuries. The four Cheetahs were crossing the Talek  River heading towards the Ol Kiombo side and it is suspected that Olarishani was attacked by a Crocodile, leaving him with life threatening injuries, which led to his death.

His coalition mates, Leboo and Winda were spotted calling out for Olonyok who was not with them. On 14th February, both of them have crossed back the Talek River from the Ol Kiombo side to Tipilikwani area and they seem to be seeking to reunite with Olonyok who is still not with them.

From tano bora, to nne bora and now the coalition is only three members, the tatu bora. Nature is really taking its course on this magnificent coalition.

The morning of 26^th January 2022 was a sad one for wildlife lovers; not just in Masai Mara National Reserve, but also across the world, who had come across the famous Tano Bora Cheetah Coalition while on safari in Kenya.

During the early morning game drive, Olpadan who was the former coalition leader who had since July 2021 been kicked out of the group was found dead. The lifeless and seriously injured Cheetah’s body, whose name “Olpadan” means “a sharp shooter” in Maa language was found lying on a murram track toward’ s Fig Tree Camp.

Although no one witnessed his death, his four former coalition partners were sighted near the area where Olpadan’s lifeless body was found. They looked weary, they were making calls and their bodies were bloodied. This made local guides and conservationists to believe that Olpadan had died as a result of a fierce fight with the four Cheetahs, now known as the Nne Bora (Magnificent Four”, after their ejection of Olpadan from their coalition in July 2021.

The area under which he was killed falls under the expansive territory that the Nne bora command. Olpadan had already moved out of this territory and it was not clear if he was trying to re-join the coalition or not.

The fascinating story of the Tano Bora began towards the end of 2016 when they were sighted in the Masai Mara for the first time. Never before had such a big coalition of Cheetahs been recorded. By 2017, the five boys had become a hit in Masai Mara. They had become so popular because of the ease with which they could bring down big prey like Topi and Wildebeests. Sometimes making a kill more than once in a day. This is unlike solitary or smaller coalitions that could only hunt Gazelles, hares and other smaller animals. Photos and video clips of the Tano bora were now being shared on social media and spreading across the world.

With time, the Fast Five coalition boys had become masters in the art of hunting, and could even bring down adult Zebras without much difficulty.

For about 4.5 years, Olpadan was a member of Masai Mara’s famous Tano Bora Cheetah Coalition . 

During that period, he was the group leader and decision maker, instigating attacks during hunting. He always seemed dominant over the other members and could even show aggression towards them.

Some reports say that he lost one of his testicles during a fight with other males sometimes in 2019, leading to a drop in his rank……

From the group leader and lead hunter, Olpadan became the lowest ranked, the last one to enjoy the meal after a hunt.

Often, Olpadan would desert the group for some days to go and mate. He had also been seen together with other male Cheetahs he was trying to form coalitions with, one of them being Kijana. He would always rejoin the group and be part of the coalition again. The group would always accept him back, although unwillingly.

This would however turn not to be the case at the end of July 2021.

Upon rejoining the group after one of his escapades, Orpadan faced hostility from his coalition members. This led to a fierce fight that led to his right eye being seriously injured. It took the intervention of vets to treat him although they estimated that he would lose his eyesight by 35%. After this fight, the might warrior had been ejected from the group.

After the ejection, Orpadan began his solo life. Often, he was spotted in the company of new male coalition mates, although this did not last long.

Being the warrior that he was, Orpadan could still hunt alone, and he tried to keep off the Nne bora territory where the other four males roamed. It seems like the last fight that had gotten his eye injured had made him believe that his former partners meant no good for him.

Cheetahs are territorial cats and will jealously guard their territory in order to reduce competition for food and mating partners.  It would seem like Olpadan had broken the territorial code and his mates, who now considered him a competitor were not ready to have none of it.

Meanwhile, the coalition of Four Cheetahs (Nne Bora) continue to traverse the Masai Mara, across their expansive territory that covers as many as 100 square kilometers. They seem as strong and fearless as they were when they were five. It will be interesting to see how this coalition behaves in the coming years and wildlife enthusiasts and researchers will be keen to note any new developments. Feel free to contact us for a Kenya Big Cats safari and we shall suggest an itinerary that suits your interests, budget and pace.