Cheetahs in the Masai Mara: What I've Learned After 10 Years

Cheetahs in Masai Mara: The Masai Mara is where I’d go for cheetahs in Kenya. The guide network reckons there are 30-45 resident cats at any time, maybe more, maybe less depending on the season. Open grass means they can hunt and you can actually see them. Mornings and late afternoons are when they’re moving. Right now the Mara Triangle and Olare Motorogi have been good.

One August morning near the Talek River, I turned off the engine and we sat watching a female scan the plains. Twenty minutes. My clients started shifting in their seats. But I’ve learned that following a hunting cheetah just pushes them into scrub where nobody sees anything. So we sat. Wind was from the east, blowing our scent away from the gazelles. She knew this.

She never hunted. Got up around 9am, stretched, walked off into some croton bushes. Clients were annoyed. That’s cheetah watching though. You wait for things that don’t happen.

The population is smaller than websites claim. You’ll see 50-70 online but that’s old brochure numbers. The Mara Predator Conservation Programme actually tracks them. Resident population is closer to 30-45.

Who’s Who in 2026

Forget Malaika. She was the most photographed cheetah in Mara history, but she died in 2016. If a guide is still talking about her, they haven’t been paying attention for a decade.

Nashipae is the one to know now. Musiara’s daughter. Raised four cubs to independence earlier this year. Four out of one litter making it to adulthood with 90% mortality—doesn’t happen much. She works the Olare Motorogi Conservancy, uses salt licks and croton thickets to hide cubs. Most cheetahs stay out of dense brush. She goes in.

Namunyak is worth knowing too. She moves constantly when she has cubs. Never the same resting spot twice. Harder to find but her cubs tend to survive.

The Tano Bora. If you follow Mara cheetahs online you’ve heard of them. Five brothers. Biggest male coalition anyone had documented here.

It’s not five anymore. Olpadan died. Olarishani was probably taken by a crocodile in the Talek River—a bad way to go, and unusual. Crocs don’t usually get cats.

What’s left is Winda and Olonyok. Some people call them “Tatu Bora” now which makes no sense since there are only two. They’re old. Over 10 years. For a wild cheetah that’s ancient. When I saw them bring down a topi last month—big animal for two aging males—the radio went quiet. Nobody said anything for a while.

Night Hunting

The guidebooks say cheetahs only hunt during the day to avoid lions. I said that to clients for years. Turns out it’s not quite right.

Recent research says nearly a third of Mara hunts happen at night, especially during full moons. The tear marks under their eyes cut glare in daylight—turns out they help in moonlight too. Cooler temps. Prey not expecting anything.

If you see a cheetah active near dusk and your guide says “settling in for the night”—maybe. Or maybe not.

Daytime hunts are what most visitors see. Cheetah climbs a termite mound, scans the plains. Sits there. Keeps scanning. Long stretches of nothing. Then either it stays nothing, or suddenly there’s a chase.

When they go, it’s maybe 30 seconds total. 0 to 100 km/h in three seconds, roughly. No roaring. Just paws on dry ground, then quiet, then sometimes chirping if there are cubs around.

I’ve watched a lot of failed hunts. Half of them, probably. Gazelle zigs. Cheetah loses the angle. You get used to it.

Vultures

Old guide taught me this.

Vultures dropping fast out of the sky = probably lions. Lions don’t care about birds. They’ll sit on a kill for hours.

Vultures sitting in a tree, watching, waiting = often a cheetah. Still eating. Vultures waiting for a hyena to show up or the cheetah to leave.

Found three kills that way. Didn’t know there was a cheetah anywhere nearby until I saw the vultures just sitting.

What Goes Wrong

Midday game drives. 11am to 3pm the cheetahs are sleeping. You won’t see much.

Everyone chasing wildebeest crossings during migration. 40 vehicles at the river. Meanwhile the cheetahs are somewhere else entirely, hunting on quiet plains. I’ve had great cheetah mornings by skipping crossings.

Two days in the Mara. Not enough. Three minimum. Four better. Gives you room when mornings don’t work out.

Following cheetahs into bushes. I did this early in my career. Cheetah walks toward cover, I’d follow. Bad idea. Pushes them deeper. Now I let them go.

Areas

Olare Motorogi is where Nashipae has been. Vehicle limits. You might get a sighting alone. Costs extra—conservancy fees on top of reserve fees.

Mara Triangle is the western side. Open grass, shorter in dry season, fewer cars than the main reserve.

Talek has more traffic but consistent sightings. Mixed ground. Females like having acacia patches nearby for cover.

Don’t bother with the riverine forest along the main river. Too thick. Lions everywhere. Cheetahs avoid it.

After a Kill

Maybe 15 minutes to eat. 20 if lucky.

Watched a female lose a gazelle to one hyena. She was still breathing hard from the chase, barely started eating, hyena walked right in. She just left.

Lions are worse. A male will kill a cheetah, not just take food. So cheetahs eat fast, watch constantly, leave before they’re done. Cubs die the same way—hidden doesn’t mean safe.

Questions I Get Asked

How many cheetahs are in the Masai Mara?

Probably 30-45 residents. The 50-70 number floating around online is old. Numbers shift with seasons and there are transient animals moving through, so nobody has an exact count.

Where’s the best place to see cheetahs in Kenya?

The Mara. The conservancies and the Triangle specifically. Amboseli and Samburu have cheetahs but fewer and the bush is thicker so harder to spot.

Do cheetahs hunt at night?

More than anyone thought. Research says about a third of hunts happen at night, especially when there’s a full moon.

Will a cheetah attack a safari vehicle?

No. They’re not aggressive toward cars. Sometimes they climb on roofs or use vehicles for shade, but that’s it.

Cheetah vs leopard—what’s the difference?

Cheetahs are taller, thinner, with solid spots and black lines running from eyes to mouth. They hunt during the day in open areas. Leopards are heavier, have rosette spots, hunt at night, climb trees.

Best time of day for cheetahs?

Early morning after the gates open, late afternoon before they close. Midday they’re sleeping.

If You Want to Find Them

Look, I can’t promise cheetahs. Nobody can. But if you tell me cheetahs matter to you before the trip, I’ll plan around that. Skip the crowded crossings. Get to the right areas early. Know who’s been seen where.

If you want to talk about dates and what’s realistic, just message me.

Get in touch

Author: Peter Munene, licensed Kenyan safari guide with 10 years experience | Editor: Trevor Charles

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