Macika the cat, who was for years an integral part of the mountaineering adventures of Alma and Denis Okanović, was found with them on Mount Elbrus. Unfortunately, she was also a victim of the tragedy that took the lives of five Bosnian and Herzegovinian mountaineers.
This story is especially significant to those who knew Alma and Denis with Macika, because she was a part of a family, not just a pet.
The story of Macika began many years ago, when Alma and Denis decided to adopt a small cat which would soon become their inseparable companion. Instead of living between four walls, they gave her a chance to meet mountains, forests, and peaks, and Macika showed that she was a true mountaineer from trip to trip. She even conquered peaks above 3,000 meters.
Together, they toured almost all significant mountain peaks in Bosnia and Herzegovina and the region, and their travels took them across Europe. In the photos they shared on social media, Macika was often in the spotlight, on her owner’s shoulders, in a mountain backpack, or proudly posing on conquered peaks.
It was for the unusual friendship that their Facebook page “Trio Fantastiko” gathered thousands of people who enthusiastically followed every new adventure of the three.
The last photos posted before the tragedy showed Macika during acclimatization on Elbrus, where, like many times before, she was with her people.
The rescue teams found Macika together with Alma and Denis Okanović, in a backpack. Until the last moment, she remained with those who adopted her and offered her a life filled with love, nature, and adventures animals rarely experience.
Her story today remains a symbol of the unbreakable bond between a man and an animal, but also a sad reminder of the tragedy that took the lives of the people who loved the mountains more than anything.
Although some Russian media published that Macika was not found, the sources of Klix.ba confirmed that she was found and was buried with respect, in the way Denis and Alma would have done it. Kemal Vidimlić, one of the survivors, confirmed this information to klix.ba.
