Kenyan Lioness adopts yet another oryx (#3) [Baby Oryx christened "Easter"]

Daily Nation (Kenya) ^ | March 31, 2002

[Shermy]

The enigmatic lioness that puzzled the world by adopting its prey, an oryx calf, has done it again.

Tourists on a dawn game drive yesterday stumbled on the lioness named Kamuniak (Samburu, for the blessed one) intimately crowding the oryx under a tree, in the far-flung Samburu Game Reserve, one of Kenya's wildlife sanctuaries located 300 kilometres north-east of Nairobi. She was sighted at the base of Lolgotoi Hill, much to the delight of Easter holidaymakers.

Samburu game warden Simon Leirana told the Sunday Nation the oryx was about three days old, and in good health. He also said they are keeping a close watch on the situation, and had seen three female oryx nearby, one of whom is likely to be the mother.

"The oryx's horns have only just started forming," said Mr Kioko Musyoka, manager of Samburu Intrepids Safari Camp. The oryx can only suckle and cannot defend itself from predators. By the time we went to Press, the two animals were still together.

The lioness puzzled wildlife watchers and conservationists by adopting an oryx calf three months ago. The oryx was later mauled by a lion when the famished lioness went in search of water leaving its captive behind.

Last month, the lioness adopted another baby oryx, but the custodian of the country's wildlife, Kenya Wildlife Service, rescued it and took it to the Nairobi National Park before it could be hunted down by other lions known to pursue antelopes with ferocity.

Game warden James Lesuyai said he would observe the intimate relationship for a while to "see what what happens".

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Samburu lioness adopts another oryx (East Afr. Standard)

The famous lioness that stunned the world two times in a row by adopting Beisa oryx calves at Samburu National Reserve, has done it for the third time.

The reserve’s senior warden, Mr Simon Leirana, said in a telephone interview that the lioness, christened Larsens, was spotted yesterday at 6.00 am with an oryx calf at the base of Koitogor hills.

The newly adopted baby oryx was immediately christened Easter because the latest development occurred during the Easter holiday.

Larsens, who has been under close supervision by the reserve’s game wardens, following its peculiar behaviour , was spotted nursing the calf in the Oryx Plains near Larsens camp.

Larsens came to the spotlight when she first adopted a Beisa oryx named Simon on December 20, 2001 and lived with it for 14 days before a starving and toothless lion grabbed and devoured it.

The lioness was amazed, when it returned from a nearby Uaso Nyiro River where it had gone to take a sip of water, to find her adopted oryx missing.

After losing the first adopted oryx, the warden said the lioness kept on trailing several herds of oryx in the area without interfering with them.

[Shermy]

Lion lays down with the lamb for a third time?

First adoption:

Lion and Lamb lie down together in Kenya! (1/7)

The lioness and the oryx (1/7)

***The Oryx and the Lioness ........ (poem)[FReeper Sabertooth's poem thread

Lioness has now Developed Unusual Fondness for Oryx (1/26 Sabertooth's thread with pics about the Lioness following oryx herds, looking for another child)

Second adoption on Valentine's Day:

**Samburu Lioness Adopts Another Baby Oryx! (2/16)

[Shermy]

My first ping is for you.

[Sabertooth]

Wow!

Thanks, Shermy... Some good news just in time for Easter and Passover.

[mercy]

I repeat (a couple months later) ... This headline should read : Lioness Practices Animal Husbandry

[Shermy]

Happy Easter ping.

[Canticle_of_Deborah]

Wow. A nice change from rape, murder and insults. Thanks for the post.

[Slyfox]

Wouldn't it be nice if her next adoption was a lamb?

[rintense]

This is truly amazing, once again the maternal instinct is stronger than the killer instinct. Someone show this story to Andrea Yates.

[Shermy]

Wouldn't it be nice if her next adoption was a lamb?

Could be the Kenyan equivalent.

[Victoria Delsoul]

Awww, that's sooo nice! Thanks for posting this article, Shermy!

[Shooter 2.5]

Thanks and thanks to Shermy. I wonder if they're going to do a better job of protecting this third Oryx.

[sinkspur]

An amazing story. I've got to say,though, that that poor lioness is skin and bones.

[Shermy]

Now if we can just get the folks over on the busy Condit thread over here... discussing Condit on Easter Eve...well, to each his own. :)

[southernnorthcarolina]

I know of one case where a lion was on the receiving end (so to speak) of such a cross-species relationship. I have an old book on the history of Weimaraners, which happens to be my canine breed of choice. The mother of a zoo-born lion cub rejected it, and a Weimaraner (who was going through a "false pregnacy") took over surrogate mother duties, including nursing the cub. Wish I could post the pic. The book was published in the 1980s, but the odd "adoption" took place in the 1950s.

[Phil V.]

Eats mommy. Takes baby.

A predator with a social conscience?

Compassionate conservatism?

[wonders]

What a wonderful story for Easter! Thank you for posting this, Shermy. I sent the url to my family as part of my email Easter greeting to them.

[Torie]

He also said they are keeping a close watch on the situation, and had seen three female oryx nearby, one of whom is likely to be the mother.

So why do baby oryx's prefer pacific lions to their own mothers?

[2sheep]

You can post the picture if you can scan it. Go here: http://www.freerepublic.com/perl/caption/ then upload the picture you scanned by following directions.  When you get to the image of the URL, post it as you would any other picture.

[RightWhale]

that poor lioness is skin and bones

Looks normal. Wonder what the antelope will do when mommy brings a nice fresh rabbit home for dinner.