Samburu Lioness Adopts Sixth Oryx A Fixation Perhaps?

Kamuniak And Daughter Oryx

Lioness adopts Sixth baby oryx - KENYA


Tourists flocked to watch the unlikely pair. A lioness in Kenya has adopted another baby oryx - her Sixth in as
many months, game wardens at the northern Samburu National Park have reported. The lioness is said to allow a
female oryx several minutes each day to feed the new-born calf.
The oryx would normally represent a tasty meal to a lion, but this is not the first time the lioness has placed a
calf under her protection.
One was seen in her company in December last year, but it was eaten by other lions after two weeks. Another calf
was taken away from her in February and placed in a zoo because it showed signs of malnourishment.

Dangers
The chief game warden in Samburu, Simon Leirana, said that the lioness was seen with a baby oryx no more then
three days old early on Saturday. "We are baffled. We do not know what to do with this third oryx," said Mr
Leirana. He said wildlife officials might decide to let nature take its course, leaving the calf to take its chances
with starvation or other predators. The lioness is said to be "fiercely protective" of the oryx - becoming very
aggressive when any human come near. Three adult onyxes have been seen near the unlikely duo though, one of
which is believed to be the mother.
grief stricken
When the last calf was eaten by a male lion while she slept, the lioness was said to have been stricken with grief - she went around roaring in
anger. Cases of lionesses showing maternal affection for animals they would normally see as prey are not unprecedented, conservationist Daphne
Sheldrick said. "It does happen, but it's quite unusual. Lions, like all the other species, including human beings, have this kind of feelings for
babies," she said. Local newspapers have noted that all three adoptions occurred on significant days - Christmas, Valentine's Day & Good Friday.
courtesy of unusuals

The Hippo And A Tortoise Called Owen A Strange Aesop Romance.

Owen(left) and Mzee (right),Chillin'.


The Hippo Called Owen and ATortoise Called Mzee.

A baby hippo, which was rescued after floods in Kenya, has befriended a tortoise. The one-year-old hippo calf christened Owen was found dehydrated by wildlife rangers on the shores of the Indian Ocean. Apparently, the rest of the Hippopotamus herd was washed out to sea.

Owen was put in an enclosure at a wildlife sanctuary in the coastal city of Mombasa, also in the enclosure was a male tortoise called Mzee. Notice that they are both of a similar colour. (In Swahili, Mzee means old man).

'They sleep together, eat together and are inseparable, 'reports park official Pauline Kimoti.' Since Owen arrived on the 27 December, the tortoise behaves like a mother to it.'

Ms Kimoti said that if the 300kg hippo continued to thrive then in the next few weeks they would allow the public to see the unlikely pair together before they are separated.

Long term they hope to pair Owen with Cleo, a lonely female hippo who is currently in a separate enclosure.

Mzee and Owen are the latest in a series of unusual bondings in the wild that have surprised zoologists in Kenya. What a lovely story of a hippo and a tortoise. See our PowerPoint presentation of Owen and Mzee's story.
Clive of India's TortoiseClive of India's Tortoise Addwaitya

On 23rd of March 2006, a giant tortoise called 'Addwaitya' died in the Kolkata zoo in India. The tortoise had been the pet of Robert Clive (Clive of India), the famous British officer who did so much to establish India as a colony. Estimates suggest that this Aldabran tortoise called 'Addwaitya' was about 250 years old. Indeed 'Addwaitya' would have to be at least that age as Clive of India died in 1774.

The name 'Addwaitya' means 'The One and Only' in Bengali, it is claimed to be the oldest tortoise in the world, unfortunately there are gaps in the provenance.

'Historical records show he was a pet of British general Robert Clive of the East India Company and had spent several years in his sprawling estate before he was brought to the zoo about 130 years ago, 'West Bengal Forest Minister Jogesh Barman said.

'We have documents to prove that he was more than 150 years old, but we have pieced together other evidence like statements from authentic sources and it seems that he is more than 250 years old, 'he said. The minister said details about Addwaitya's early life showed that British sailors had brought him from the Seychelles islands and presented him to Clive.

Will and Guy hope that they will use carbon dating to confirm the age of Addwaitya. There are rumours that you can date tortoises by their rings. However, this is nowhere as accurate as tree ring dating. Because of the age and importance of Addwaitya, we hope they will find the necessary finds for a carbon dating.

This breed of Aldabra tortoises are native to the Seychelles in general and to the island of Aldabra in particular. It is believed that tortoises are the longest lived of all animals, it is not uncommon for them reach their 100th birthday.
Additional Reporting Here