Male Cheetah - Acinonyx jubatus
Olpadan - Meaning sharp shooter in the Maa language. We first came across Olpadan also known as Dartagnan in 2017 when he was the leader of the famous Cheetah coalition called the Tana Bora or Fast Five. At that time he was wearing a research collar which was removed the following year. We have had the privilege to photograph Olpadan many times during our trips to the Masai Mara and little did we know that when this photograph was taken in November 2021 it would be our last. Early in 2021 Olpadan left the group and the coalition were renamed the Nne Bora. Olpadan eventually teamed up with a younger male but unfortunately, that did not last and he was on his own once again. He did try to get back with his former coalition but was not accepted. Later his former group members attacked him and he suffered an injury to his eye. Olpadan was treated by the vets and appeared to be doing well. Sadly, one morning in January this year he was found dead on the Mara plains. It is thought that he was killed by his former coalition members.
I had read somewhere on the Big Cats Facebook pages that "The Cheetah Project Mara Meru" were going to do a postmortem but I have not yet seen any results or if indeed that did happen.
Male Cheetah - Acinonyx jubatus
Olpadan - Meaning sharp shooter in the Maa language. We first came across Olpadan also known as Dartagnan in 2017 when he was the leader of the famous Cheetah coalition called the Tana Bora or Fast Five. At that time he was wearing a research collar which was removed the following year. We have had the privilege to photograph Olpadan many times during our trips to the Masai Mara and little did we know that when this photograph was taken in November 2021 it would be our last. Early in 2021 Olpadan left the group and the coalition were renamed the Nne Bora. Olpadan eventually teamed up with a younger male but unfortunately, that did not last and he was on his own once again. He did try to get back with his former coalition but was not accepted. Later his former group members attacked him and he suffered an injury to his eye. Olpadan was treated by the vets and appeared to be doing well. Sadly, one morning in January this year he was found dead on the Mara plains. It is thought that he was killed by his former coalition members.
I had read somewhere on the Big Cats Facebook pages that "The Cheetah Project Mara Meru" were going to do a postmortem but I have not yet seen any results or if indeed that did happen.