Lioness with Baby Oryx

True Wildlife|Lioness with Baby Oryx|The photographer tells the story like this."It seems that she was fully aware that it was not a lion cub, as she did not try to hunt for it. In fact the rangers and drivers reported that the baby had been returning to its Oryx mother to suckle, and we witnessed it approaching Oryx on several occasions and being greeted by them. The lioness would allow the baby to spend some time with the Oryx watching intently and with great concern from a distance. But if the calf wandered too far she would start to follow,

whereupon the adult Oryx would catch sight of her in the bushes and run for its life. The baby Oryx would follow the adult, and the lioness using every predator tactic would give chase and eventually catch up with the calf. Oryx-cub and lioness would rejoin, the lioness rubbing her head gently down its body... the Oryx, gangly-legged, nibbling softly on the lioness' ear. We do not think that the calf could have survived if it had not been suckling from its Oryx mother. The lioness had absolutely no signs of having been pregnant, neither having perhaps lost cubs nor lactating. No teats were visible which would suggest that she had never been pregnant. "

Lioness with Baby Oryx

Both were thin, but in surprisingly good health. It was reported that the lioness had not hunted once since her adoption of the Oryx. Her shoulder blades were sharp like knives under skin and she was beginning to starve. We only saw her attempt to hunt once - she tried to stalk a warthog, but quickly gave up and trotted after the calf. It was hard to tell which was going to die first... the lioness or the calf.

Mother Oryx with Baby Oryx 

What was so interesting about the relationship was that the Oryx calf was the leader. As if it were an autistic child the lioness was unable to communicate with it, and she had no choice but to follow dotingly wherever it went. Being a night creature she was desperate to sleep during the day but the calf would wander off and she was forced to follow, becoming thin for "love"... "nimekonda kwa mpenzi", a saying often repeated by lovesick Swahili fishermen!

Lioness with Baby Oryx

It seems that she was fully aware that it was not a lion cub, as she did not try to hunt for it. In fact the rangers and drivers reported that the baby had been returning to its Oryx mother to suckle, and we witnessed it approaching Oryx on several occasions and being greeted by them. The lioness would allow the baby to spend some time with the Oryx watching intently and with great concern from a distance. But if the calf wandered too far she would start to follow, whereupon the adult Oryx would catch sight of her in the bushes and run for its life. The baby Oryx would follow the adult, and the lioness using every predator tactic would give chase and eventually catch up with the calf. Oryx-cub and lioness would rejoin, the lioness rubbing her head gently down its body... the Oryx, gangly-legged, nibbling softly on the lioness' ear. We do not think that the calf could have survived if it had not been suckling from its Oryx mother. The lioness had absolutely no signs of having been pregnant, neither having perhaps lost cubs nor lactating. No teats were visible which would suggest that she had never been pregnant. We estimated her age to be about 2-3 years old. Being an arid zone animals, the calf would need rich milk from its mother... we saw it nibbling on plants but nothing substantial enough.

Lioness with Baby Oryx in jungle

Local Kenyans from the lodges and around the park arrived in droves to see for themselves a legend in the making. Tourists, sun burnt and dehydrated, were moved beyond comparison. Everyone wanted to do something to help. The warden of Samburu reserve was receiving pressure from every quarter to feed her to keep her alive.

Some Kenyans felt that "mungu amefika" god has arrived, or that "dunia ataisha” the world is coming to an end. Even as a scientist my mind kept wandering off into biblical parody - and the lamb shall lay down with the lion. Strangest of all is that both animals seemed totally aware of the disparity - that they were different species and ultimately opposite.