African Lion Safari Shocker That The World Never Recovered From

Puzzling And Bizarre Case Of Lioness Who Adopted Baby Oryx

Experts still can't quite explain the strange incident in Kenya, Africa where a full-grown lioness adopted a baby oryx. Even more bizarre is the fact that the lioness did this not once, but on three separate occasions in a space of about three months.

Pictures of the strange and very unlikely pair seem like something straight out of a well-loved Hollywood, Walt Disney caper. A lion walking right next to what would usually be a tasty meal for it of tender baby Oryx meat.

The incident was reported and monitored at the northern Samburu National Park in Kenya where tourists out on an African lion safari got a rare treat of an occurrence that defied the laws of nature.

Even stranger were reports that in one of the adoptions, the lioness would usually allow a female oryx several minutes daily to feed the new-born calf. There were a number of incidences where the lioness fiercely protected the younger baby oryx from other hungry lions eager to make a meal out of her. But it was all a very exhausting affair and sadly the last calf the lion adopted was killed and eaten when the lioness was asleep.

The first of the baby gazelles that the lioness adopted was eaten by other lions after about two weeks. The lioness visibly showed signs of sadness, but it was not long before she adopted yet another oryx. However wardens had to take away that one when she showed signs of malnourishment. Obviously a lion can hardly suckle a gazelle.

Later in the year, the same lioness was seen with yet another baby oryx, the third one, of no more than three days old. So protective was the lioness that she usually became very aggressive when any human attempted to come anywhere near her "strange baby."

However while the lioness was asleep, a male lion ate "her baby." It is reported that the lioness was shattered with grief and went round roaring in anger.

Still, this incident of a few years back (fully reported with photograph by the BBC here) is hardly the usual thing that one would encounter during an exciting African Lion Safari holiday.

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