Since arriving in the Mara some years back, the Tano Bora cheetah coalition has certainly wowed 1000s of travelers across the world.
As the largest known male cheetah coalition in the Mara, the Tano Bora (which means ‘The Magnificent Five’ in Maa) has challenged many assumptions about typical cheetah behaviour. Typically, once reaching adulthood, male cheetah will become solitary or perhaps join another to form a pair. It is very rare to see a group this large bonding together.
Each male has also been given a local name: Olpadan (‘Great Shooter’ in Maa), Olarishani (‘Judge’ in Maa), Leboo (‘The one who is always within a group’ in Maa), Winda (‘Hunter’ in Kiswahili), and Olonoyok (‘The one who puts efforts to achieve better results’ in Maa).
Surprisingly, the five aren’t all brothers as some may assume – only two are known to have come from the same litter. And it is certain that one is a lone cheetah that joined the others despite no familial relationship.
