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Wednesday, June 21, 2017

LION ADOPTS BABY ANTELOPE AND LOVINGLY LICKS IT CLEAN

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A few days ago I posted the case of the single dad lion who devotedly raised his orphaned cub after mom had died.  Here is another moving story showing the nurturing feelings of wild felines, which in many documented cases extend to babies of other species. 
A young lion was pictured licking an antelope calf clean in the Kruger National Park in South Africa after apparently picking the youngster up when it wandered off from its mother
Amazing moment lion adopts tiny newborn antelope carrying it in its mouth like a cub and even LICKING the calf clean
  • Graeme Mitchley captured the extraordinary moment a lion adopts a baby antelope at Kruger National Park, South Africa
  • Mr Mitchley said he doesn't know what became of the calf's mother or how the big cat got hold of it   But the teacher did witness the lion carrying the baby like a cub and attempting to lick its fur clean
  • Eventually the lion carried the cub out of sight, so Mr Mitchley says he doesn't know if the animal survived 

  • Continue reading and watch VIDEO


    WATCH VIDEO:



     

    They say love is universal - and if these pictures of a lion caring for an abandoned antelope are anything to go by, they might well be right.
     
    The extraordinary moment unfolded at Kruger National Park, in South Africa, and was captured by 45-year-old Graeme Mitchley, a deputy head teacher who was on a trip there with his wife.
     
    Mr Mitchley photographed the deadly predator licking the calf clean and carrying it around like one of her own cubs in touching scenes.
     
    Photographer Graeme Mitchley, a deputy head teacher who was visiting the park with his wife, captured these incredible images of the predator apparently caring for its prey 
    But the lion eventually carried the calf away and out of sight, so nobody knows what became of it. 

    Mr Mitchley said: 'At first, it looked like a lioness carrying her cub. However, at second glance, it turned out to be a lion carrying a newborn antelope.
     
    'The young lion carried the antelope down into the dry riverbed where we lost visual, but could still hear the antelope bleating. 
     
    Mr Mitchley said the youngster wandered out from the trees carrying the baby, and he has no idea where its mother got to - though suspects the adult had strayed too far from its offspring
     
    'I am not sure what happened to its mum but she may have been grazing and wandered a bit too far off from her youngster.' 
     
    Mr Mitchley said: 'On this particular day there wasn't an animal in sight, never mind any lions.
     
    'I commented to my wife that I would love to know where they had all got to. 
     
    'A few minutes later, out of nowhere a lion came walking out of the dry bush with something in its mouth. 
     
    'The young lion carried the antelope down into the dry riverbed where we lost visual, but could still hear the antelope bleating. 
     
    Visitors watched in amazement as the young lion appeared to be caring for the antelope before carrying it away to a nearby river bank and out of sight

     
    'The lion went into the riverbed also because there were white-backed vultures, hooded vultures and marabou storks in the vicinity hoping to take off with the buck.
     
    'I think this was pure opportunism on the part of the lion as it must have stumbled upon the newborn whilst walking through the bush.
     
    Mr Mitchley said that while they could still hear the antelope bleating as it was taken out of sight, he does not know how the strange sight ended - or whether the baby became dinner
     
    'I am not sure what happened to its mum but she may have been grazing and wandered a bit too far off from her youngster.
     
    'We visit the Kruger often but this was a rare sighting for both of us.
     
    'That's why the Kruger National Park is the best place on Earth, you never know what lies in wait around the following bend.'

    Around 1,800 lions are thought to live inside Kruger National Park, though not many of them are known to take care of baby antelopes - much preferring to have them for dinner
      Mr Mitchley said the unfortunate calf and its lion companion were also being stalked by several large birds of prey who had spotted an easy meal

     
    Source
    http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-4617526/Touching-moment-lion-cares-abandoned-antelope-calf.html


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    Daddy's pride: A story to make your heart soar





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    http://ottersandsciencenews.blogspot.ca/2017/06/how-wallace-lion-raised-his-cub-after.html






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