 | | The lioness with a former charge |
A lioness who has already defied nature twice this year by adopting a baby oryx -- an antelope that Africa's top predator usually likes to eat -- has done it again, adopting a third oryx.Game wardens at Samburu National Park said Monday they had found the lioness with a four or five-day-old oryx called Easter Saturday. She had previously adopted new born oryxes over New Year and on Valentine's Day. On each occasion, she has given the calves affection, protection from other lions, and even allowed their natural mothers to come and feed them. "Yesterday, two oryxes came (near the lion and calf), probably the mother and father," chief warden Simon Leirana told reporters. "The lioness left the calf and went to sleep in the shade. "The calf went to its mother and started suckling for about three minutes, then the lioness ran toward them and the mother oryx ran away." Leirana said the calf tried to follow its mother, but was pursued by the lioness who eventually won "her" baby back. Wardens said the latest adoptee looked well and strong. Oryx number two was taken away from the lioness after its condition deteriorated from lack of food. Oryx number one was not so lucky. The lioness managed to protect it for two weeks before a hungry male lion with a traditional diet seized the baby while the lioness was napping. (Agencies) | 在非洲，獅子本是羚羊的天敵，而Samburu國家公園中的一只母獅子居然違背了其"非洲頭號食肉動物"的天性， 在一年內收養了三只本被它們視為美餐的非洲羚羊幼崽。 Samburu國家公園的動物看管員周一發現這只母獅子竟然和一只剛出生四、五天名叫"復活節"的小羚羊待在一起。這只母獅子在收養這只小羚羊前還收養過兩只分別在新年期間和情人節出生的小羚羊。 每次這只"獅媽媽"總是給小羚羊們母親般的"愛撫"，保護它們免受其他獅子的襲擊，甚至小羚羊的生母來給它們的孩子喂奶的時候，"獅媽媽"也睜一只眼閉一只眼。 總看管員西蒙·萊拉納告訴記者說："昨天，有兩只成年羚羊靠近了這只獅子和小羚羊，它們很可能是小羚羊的父母，母獅子見此情景就將小羚羊留給了它們，獨自到樹蔭下睡覺去了。" "小羚羊走到它母親的身邊，開始吮吸乳汁，大概過了三分鐘，母獅子朝它們走去，羚羊媽媽就被嚇跑了。" 萊拉納說小羚羊跟在自己親生母親的身后不舍離去，但是"獅媽媽"最終還是將小羚羊追了回來，帶在自己的身邊。 動物看管員們說這只剛剛被"獅媽媽"收養的小獅子看上去身體狀況不錯，很健壯，但是由于跟在獅媽媽身邊缺少食物，第二只被收養的小羚羊已經被看管員從母獅子身邊帶走。 最先被收養的那只小羚羊則沒有這么幸運，在它被"獅媽媽"收養兩周后的一天，一只饑餓的雄獅子趁"獅媽媽"打盹的間隙，將這只小羚羊變成了自己的盤中美味。 (中國日報網站譯) |
Updated: 2002-04-05 01:00
