![]() ![]() Sexual maturity: Male: 1.5-2 years, Female: 1.5-2 years They are well adapted to arid environments and are thus able to survive almost indefinitely without drinking water by utilizing the moisture found in the vegetation they eat.Ĭaptive oryx have been documented living 20-28 years.įormerly scimitar-horned oryx were hunted by lions, leopards and hyenas. Being nomadic these oryx will travel many miles in search of new grass which sprouts up quickly after sudden rains. Scimitar-horned oryx are browsers that eat primarily annual grasses, but will also consume leaves, legumes, roots and fruit when available. They were generally found in the arid borders between the Sahara and the Sahel in regions with rolling dunes and grassy steppes. The scimitar-horned oryx were at one time found in desert to sub-desert region of North Africa from Senegal to central Sudan. During the wet season, herds would migrate north into the Sahara, returning south to the Sahel as the dry season approached. Herds are usually led by a dominant male, unlike other oryx species, solitary males are seldom seen. scimitar-horned oryx is an extremely gregarious species of antelope once normally found in herds of up to 70 individuals, though herds of thousands of animals would formerly gather for migrations and after rainfalls. This VOA Special English ENVIRONMENT REPORT was written by Cynthia Kirk. But the official said it was only nature. A wildlife official at the park and many visitors were surprised to see this. It was the first time Kamuniak had eaten one of the young animals. Last month, one of the oryxes died of starvation and the lioness ate it. Park officials have welcomed nature experts and researchers to the park to study the lioness's strange behavior. Some have said the lioness wants to be like a mother to the baby antelopes because she is unable to give birth to her own babies. Wildlife experts do not understand Kamuniak's actions. Experts say she apparently is too concerned about the safety of the oryxes to leave them alone. The lioness usually does not hunt for food while raising the baby antelopes. One time, however, a baby oryx was eaten by a male lion while Kamuniak slept. Their mothers were usually too afraid of the lioness to get close enough to feed their young. Sometimes, park officials had to intervene to rescue a baby oryx as it became weak from lack of food. Most of the oryxes later escaped with the help of their mothers. The lioness has cared for each of the five baby oryxes and protected them from other lions. She was walking side by side and lying in the grass with a baby oryx. The lioness became famous in Kenya when pictures of her were published on the front page of a local newspaper. When it grows up, it develops black and white markings on its face. At birth, the oryx is a light brown color. ![]() ![]() She has cared for five young oryxes since January. Local people in Kenya named the lioness Kamuniak, which means "the blessed one" in the local Samburu language. Scientists say the lioness has defied the laws of nature. Many people have visited the park to observe her unusual behavior. The lioness has become the most popular animal in the wildlife park. The lioness in the Samburu National Reserve has been caring for baby antelopes that it would normally kill and eat. Scientists do not understand the unusual actions of a female lion in a protected wildlife park in northern Kenya. This is the VOA Special English ENVIRONMENT REPORT. ![]()
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