'Kamuniak - The Blessed One'

Kamuniak - The Blessed One

By Veteran-arian at 10/23/08 18:57

My co-worker told me about a series in Animal Planet before that touched her heart. I don't know where I was that time but I missed watching it so I told her to tell me the things about it.

The title of the show was Heart Of A Lioness. It was a documentary about a lioness named Kamuniak (Kamunyak), a Swahili term for The Blesses One. What made Kamuniak different from other lioness around is that she was known for taking care of at least 5 baby oryx. Yes, you read it right. The animal that feeds other lions in the Samburu Game Reserve in Kenya became the babies of Kamuniak.

The story focus on one baby oryx that was left behind when Kamunyak raided a herd of oryx. Instead of eating it, she became its foster parent. But how did she managed to survived the baby oryx when their diet is very different? Here's how.

In the morning during their first few days together, Kamunyak would hunt her own meal. Of course the oryx is not carnivorous so the baby can't eat it. What she did was she lets the baby oryx be visited by its mom at night and after she feeds the baby with her milk, Kamunyak will then chase her and regain authority of the baby.

Kamunyak and the baby oryx looks comfortable with each other. They sleep together and the baby oryx will often rub its face on Kamunyak and she will licked the baby oryx back. Kamunyak was also seen fighting off a leopard who tried to eat the baby oryx, showing utmost care for the baby.

But unfortunately, after a few weeks of not eating just to look after the baby oryx, Kamunyak fell asleep and wasn't able to notice an incoming male lion. She was devastated when she found out when she woke up what happened. She was very angry towards the male lion, even walking around it ten times while roaring. And after that, she fled from the scene never coming back. She was then spotted rearing 4 more baby oryx but all was shorter than the first ones.

Many experts said Kamunyak's behavior is due to the trauma she experienced. She lost her pride at an early age and developed an instinct to take care of young animals.

If you want to see a part of the show, you can check it out on the video below.

YouTube Video

From biplia is writing this like happening.

The show the Heart of a Lioness was really beautiful and tragic. I firmly believe that the lady in charge, Ms. Saba Douglas-Hamilton, should have tried to save both the lioness and the oryx. They would have been an inspiration to billions of people. Her attitude is similar as the one of the photographer Kevin Carter, who in the year 1994 took a picture of a little boy in Sudan, who was near death due to starvation. Next to the boy there was a raven, waiting for the little boy to die. Mr. Carter took the picture, won the Pulitzer Prize and a lot of money and fame because of that picture, but he never lifted a finger to help the little boy. Probably because of remorse, he committed suicide 3 months later. I will say that Ms. Saba Douglas-Hamilton wasted a unique opportunity to help our planet. She will be always remembered as the person who did absolutely nothing to help those two great animals, who were desperate for humans to lend them a hand.

I was totally heartbroken when I watched the Heart of a Lioness. Ms. Saba Douglas-Hamilton should be ashamed of herself. Knowing those poor animals were starving and needed help, but in her cruel words "she wanted nature to take it's course". As a rare sight you don't see everyday of a lioness and oryx becoming companions these beautiful animals should have been rescued and put in animal sanctuary and now an innocent baby oryx that was determined to live is dead and god only knows where the poor lioness is- probably also dead from a broken heart. I'll say it again....shame, shame on you Ms. Saba!!!

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