Lioness adopts fifth antelope

Kamuniak the dysfunctional lioness has forfeited another meal by adopting her fifth baby oryx this year, an aberration of nature which has baffled wildlife experts.

The young lioness in the Samburu national park in northern Kenay adopted her latest baby at the weekend, a wildlife service warden said yesterday.

Each time Kamuniak, whose name means "the blessed one" in the local Samburu tongue, has tried to protect the antelopes from other predators and allowed the natural mothers to feed them.

Unfortunately for her, one oryx ended up in the belly of a male lion while Kamuniak slept; the others were either rescued by wardens or retrieved by their natural mothers.

The wardens think the latest adoptee, nicknamed Naisimari ("taken by force"), was adopted at the weekend.

"She must have adopted her on Sunday because they are in harmony," said Gabriel Lepariyo, a warden.

Naisimari's natural mother has been seen shadowing the odd couple at a distance.

Theories to explain the phenonemon abound: not having her own cubs, Kamuniak is lonely; she is colour-blind and short-sighted and thinks the calves are cubs; the oryx were too frail to flee, breaking the classic prey behaviour and confusing the hunter; Kamuniak wants to be a vegetarian; Kamuniak wants to be loved.