American Sportsman

Olivia appeared on the ABC television show American Sportsman in a segment highlighting the plight of the cheetah, alongside Laurie Marker and the Cheetah Conservation Fund (CCF) in Namibia. In the episode, Olivia meets Khayam, a cheetah cub, and supports Laurie Marker’s efforts to prevent the species from becoming extinct.

Unfortunately, only a short portion of the segment remains in good quality; the rest of the footage exists in poor condition.

There is touching footage of Olivia meeting two baby cheetahs, Khayam and Keeya, who were bred in captivity in Oregon and taught survival skills. Olivia gently strokes and pets them. During her visit to Oregon, she witnesses a shocking incident: a man is attacked while feeding adult cheetahs from the back of a truck. Thankfully, he was not seriously injured, but this is really shocking to watch.

Several months later, Olivia travels to Namibia, where Khayam is under close supervision. Keeya, the other cub, was not healthy enough to leave the Oregon reserve. The team is concerned that Khayam is not hunting, and Olivia is seen giving her water. Eventually, a vet diagnoses Khayam with a blockage in her digestive tract. Thankfully, she recovers and is later filmed chasing prey. However, due to ongoing poaching, it remains unlikely she will ever be released into the wild.

International Cheetah Day is celebrated on December 4th, which is the birthday of Khayam—the first cheetah Laurie Marker raised.