Cheetah Project Mara-Meru

Cheetah Project Mara-Meru Mara-Meru Cheetah Project aims to secure habitats for the long-term survival of cheetahs

Since the beginning of 20th century cheetah population in the world reduced dramatically from over 100,000 to 7,100 individuals and the major cause is a human activity at a global scale. Therefore understanding human-cheetah interface is essential in promoting the survival of this species on a long term. The Mara-Meru Cheetah Project was founded to work in the human dominated areas of Kenya – Mara

Ecosystem and Meru Conservation Area. The Project is led by an expert in cheetah ecology and behavior Dr. Elena Chelysheva, who has been studying cheetahs for over 30 years in captivity and in the wild. In 2000, Elena was invited by the Kenya Wildlife Service to work as Assistant Researcher at the first Maasai-Mara Cheetah Conservation Project. In 2001, Elena Chelysheva developed original method of cheetah identification, based on comparison of spot patterns on the front and hind limbs and spots and rings on the tail, published in 2004 and now widely used by the researchers. Collected over the years, vast photographic data of Mara cheetahs formed the basis for building Mara Cheetah Pedigree, which helps to assess population trends over the years, reveal parental relationship between individuals, cheetah lifespan, personal reproductive history and survival rate of cubs. The project team has been working in the Mara since 2011, and has achieved the following:
• Forming the Mara Cheetah Pedigree since 2001 to date, which plays a key role in determining the population trends over the years, lifespan of the cheetahs, survival rate of cubs and personal reproductive history and success.
• Monitoring of cheetahs through behavioral observations, deepening the knowledge of cheetah adaptations in the human-dominated areas.
• Saving cheetah litters from uncontrolled fire together with the rangers; monitoring families with cubs, sick and recovering individuals; assisting the Kenya Wildlife Service veterinarians in treating sick cheetahs.
• Assisted the Narok County Government in working out new Park Rules and Regulations for Maasai-Mara National Reserve for better protecting of cheetahs and other animals from harassment. The Project findings on cheetah behavior contributed to the edition of seven new rules into the Maasai-Mara Park Rules and Regulations. These are intended to curb/minimize human interference in natural behavior of wild animals such as hunting, feeding, mating etc., which are essential for the survival of the vulnerable animals like cheetahs.
• Visits to the ranger posts, tourist facilities, and conducting conservation workshops with the educational talks on cheetah ecology and behavior, teaching rangers and guides cheetah identification techniques and update them on the current cheetahs in the different areas of the Mara.
• Conducting community interviews, which has enabled the project team to identify gaps in the current environmental education and to conduct conservation educational lessons, design and donate coloring educational books “Let’s go wild” alongside with the textbooks to the kids at the local schools, meant to fill the gap in environmental education. The Project is working in affiliation with the Kenya Wildlife Service, Narok and Transmara County Councils, and with assistance of Coordinator of Maasai-Mara Cultural Village Tour Association (MMCVTA).

12/08/2026

MILELE's SUCCESS

With an average lifespan of about three years, male cheetahs in the wild rarely reach 10 years of age. Moreover, solitary males have a harder time surviving than males in coalitions, as partners care for each other in the event of a temporary disability. When Milele began limping in 2022, his brother Mbili hunted and shared kills with him until Milele recovered. This ability to kill large game proved useful to Milele after the loss of his brother in May 2023. He single-handedly hunted adult Topis and Bushbucks. Even at 10 years old, Milele is still strong enough not only to hunt large ungulates but also to hide prey from potential kleptoparasites. Yesterday, he dragged the carcass of a subadult wildebeest from an open field over 100 meters into the bush and ate peacefully until dark.

WORLD RANGER DAY - Guardians of a Changing PlanetOn this day, we honor the brave rangers—the guardians and custodians of...
02/08/2026

WORLD RANGER DAY - Guardians of a Changing Planet

On this day, we honor the brave rangers—the guardians and custodians of the Mara land and its wildlife. We salute the dedicated men and women who are often risking their lives to ensure peace and tranquility for people and animals in the Mara. We are proud and grateful to have worked closely with you every day for nearly 15 years!

Our close partnership with ranger teams in the Mary ecosystem is synergistic:
* We conduct training for rangers of the Reserve and Conservancies, sharing our extensive experience and knowledge of cheetah ecology, behavior, and challenges. The program is aimed at improving the conservation of the species. Upon completion, rangers receive a Certificate.
* Working daily with ecosystem rangers allows us to share data on cheetah locations with each other and travel to locations where each of us can be most helpful. We also equip ranger teams throughout the ecosystem with powerful binoculars and cameras to enhance their patrolling activities.
* To support the visual identity for the Mara Cheetah Unit, a ranger team established by the County Government of Narok, we designed a logo modeled after the Mara Rhino Unit and equipped MCU vehicles with stickers and the team with T-shirts featuring the corresponding logo. Furthermore, since the MCU's inception, we have been providing their teams with valuable equipment and materials for cheetah identification and monitoring, and assist in resolving various urgent issues, supporting their continuous work in the field.
* At the Reserve, our road signs help rangers close areas to restore grass and to prevent disturbance to female cheetahs with young cubs.
* In collaboration with Narok County rangers and authorities, we have developed Cheetah Observation Rules based on our long-term behavioral data and on the Park Rules of the Reserve, which are aimed at observing animals without disturbing them.
* Together with rangers, we monitor the health of cheetahs in the Mara ecosystem, assist veterinarians, and after help is provided, we monitor them together until recovery. It is a great pleasure to work with dedicated Mara rangers and see the success of their hard daily work.

This year the World Ranger Day celebration took place at the Oloolamutia Gate area of the Maasai Mara National Reserve. It provided great opportunity to meet the Mara stakeholders, the Narok County Government authorities and conservation organizations, and share our new discoveries, plans, and ideas for collaboration, as well as set training times for new teams.

We sincerely wish all the rangers the mighty strength and health of an elephant, the unrivaled resilience and fearlessness of a honey badger, and the record-breaking speed of a cheetah!

18/07/2026

MIGRATION IN THE MARA. RUKA'S HUNT

The annual migration enriches the predators' prey base, significantly reducing interspecies competition for food resources. Cheetahs use this opportunity to hunt young and adult wildebeest. Large ungulates are slow runners, but bringing them down requires strength. The ability to hunt wildebeest, as well as young Topi, is an indicator of a cheetah's good health.

Rosetta's son, Ruka, lost his brother, Rafiki, two years ago. Together, the brothers successfully hunted adult wildebeest and Topi, and now, left alone, Ruka retained excellent skills and power. Today, Ruka, who is 7 years and 10 months old, hunted a wildebeest, and by evening he had finished his big meal, which will keep him going for the next 3-4 days.

08/07/2026

WHEN PREDATORS MEET: Milele and Hyenas

Hyenas are intelligent and successful predators, and cheetahs learn from childhood when it makes sense to ignore their presence and when it's best to flee. Hyenas, alone or in groups, often follow cheetahs, and if a cheetah settles down to rest, they lie nearby, watching. Despite being exceptionally successful hunters, spotted hyenas never pass up the opportunity to profit from someone else's kill. Therefore, when they spot a cheetah, they check for food. If there is no kill, they either settle down nearby or follow the cheetah.

Today, two hyenas came to the spot where Milele was resting in the evening. The first one was so confident (listen to its sounds) and came so close that the male expressed discomfort by hissing at it. Since Milele hadn't managed to hunt today, he hurried away. To avoid predators, he used the tourist cars parked on the road as cover, passing between them. And although both hyenas followed him, he gained time and soon broke away from them, disappearing into a ravine. Thus, Milele's tolerance for cars helped him evade pursuit today.

MILELE HUNTINGAfter the cheetahs finish courting, both partners separate to hunt. In very rare cases, they share a kill ...
06/07/2026

MILELE HUNTING

After the cheetahs finish courting, both partners separate to hunt. In very rare cases, they share a kill (as was the case with Milele, Mbili, and Kisaru). In Nashipae's case, on the third day after mating, Milele was hunting alone. Life in a coalition has taught him to take large prey: adult Topi, Waterbuck, Wildebeest and sub-adult Zebra. Having lost his brother in late May 2023, he retained his big-game hunting skills, as well as his physical fitness, which allowed him to bring down alone an adult Topi and Waterbuck, and this time – a subadult wildebeest—an antelope larger and heavier than himself. Tall grass provided excellent concealment for the hunter, allowing him to approach close without being detected. It's important that there are no vehicles behind the potential prey, so the hunter has ample room to maneuver.

Since there were no bushes in the field where Milele could hide his prey, he assessed the situation and attempted to drag it into the shade of a nearby car. The driver pulled away, and he tried again in the direction of another car, but it also immediately pulled away. Despite the heat, Milele made no further attempts. Instead, he rested and began feeding. For the well-being of cheetahs, areas with short and tall grass, and necessarily with bushes, are equally important, where the animals can hide from the heat and hide prey from competitors.

Undisturbed by kleptoparasites, Milele spent over 18 hours with its prey and left the next morning with a full belly. Therefore, it spent the entire day resting. It's important to remember that older animals sleep longer, and well-fed animals even more so. Daytime sleep is extremely important, as it allows the animal to recuperate and remain alert at night, when other predators are active, to avoid a surprise attack.

05/07/2026

THE MATING OF THE OLDEST MARA CHEETAHS – MILELE AND NASHIPAE

Cheetahs retain an interest in the opposite s*x until old age. However, even if a female becomes pregnant at age 11, her offspring have a low chance of survival. A few days ago, two of the oldest cheetahs, Milele and Nashipae, met. The male behaved confidently: he hissed and growled at the female, indicating that the pair had mated previously. Cheetah courtship lasts for three days when the female is receptive, but mating usually occurs at night due to the timidity of cheetahs. Our long-term observations indicate that cheetahs accustomed to the presence of cars are more successful than shy ones and can mate during daylight hours in the presence of tourists. However, on the second and third days, the pair disappeared from areas of active tourist traffic, and the male reappeared on the third day. To be continued.

05/07/2026

Nabaya's family is feeding while two jackals are trying to distract cheetahs

NABAYA WITH A NEW LITTER – LIFE IN THE FOREST In the wild, females only successfully raise their first litter at age six...
02/07/2026

NABAYA WITH A NEW LITTER – LIFE IN THE FOREST

In the wild, females only successfully raise their first litter at age six, when they've gained enough life experience and learned from their mistakes. This year, Nabaya, Natasha's daughter, raised two cubs to independence - male Nalala (“Wide one”) and female Naanyu (“Patience” in Maa). Nabaya left them at the beginning of January while she was pregnant. Now, at age nine, she's raising her third known litter of four.

Nabaya is one of those cheetahs whose success is ensured by living in dense bushes and wooded hills—where the cheetah's main competitors, lions and hyenas, have a harder time finding them, and where they can hide from enemies. However, kleptoparasites can appear at the signal of other species. Interestingly, vultures have also adapted to searching for food in dense bushes. They circle above the forest, and upon observing a successful hunt, perch on a nearby tree or bush, waiting for the hunter to leave the area. But they aren't always successful—a competitor may beat them to it.

In the bushes, hyenas rely on signals from small predators, specifically jackals, rather than vultures, as they do in open areas. Their bark can reach hundreds of meters and provides information about the location of prey, which is exactly what hyenas use. Therefore, in dense bushes, when food is scarce, cheetahs are unlikely to encounter hyenas and lions, but they have a high chance of encountering baboons and leopards. Therefore, the female must be extremely vigilant and alert to any rustling sounds. Females also teach this to their cubs.

07/05/2026

NASIEKU IN SEARCH FOR FOOD – WATER TO THE RESCUE

Today, Nasieku made several unsuccessful attempts to get food. When the hunt fails, drinking water helps the cheetah reduce hunger and maintain its strength until the next successful hunt.

30/04/2026

RUKA IN THE RAIN

Wild animals face many challenges, including harsh weather conditions. Heavy rains not only hinder cheetahs' river crossings but also reduce visibility and, along with strong winds, their ability to detect danger. If a cheetah fails to hide under a bush, it must periodically scan its surroundings to be alert if a lion or other predator unexpectedly appears dangerously close.

A severe thunderstorm with heavy rain caught Ruka in an open field near the main road, and he, clearly uncomfortable, wandered further into the field to disappear into the thick grass amid the rain.

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Maasai-Mara National Reserve, Narok County
Nairobi

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+254705138175

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