A wild lioness reacted unexpectedly after she realized she had hunted a pregnant antelope.
The nature of animals is still incomprehensible to many of us. They come to behave completely out of the ordinary, either aggressively or tenderly.
Recently, in the Madikwe Game Reserve in South Africa, game ranger Gerry Van der Walt witnessed something that completely perplexed him and wanted to share it, because of its great importance.
Lionesses usually hunt together, in groups, attacking mainly large ungulates.
Gerry and a group of visitors were able to witness the moment when the lioness hunted an antelope, from when she began stalking it until she finally caught up with her prey.
After she caught up with the antelope, everyone expected her to start feeding on her prey, but what she did left Gerry speechless.
They saw the lioness approach the stomach of the antelope and pull it, however as the scene became clearer, they noticed that it was not really the stomach, but a baby antelope.
The lioness got the surprise of her life when she discovered that her victim was going to be a mother
lioness
«I’ve seen lionesses kill other pregnant prey and nothing happens, they just continue to feed like nothing happened,» said Gerry, absolutely stunned.
«From that moment the lioness’s behavior changed completely, she seemed to be confused by what was happening. She started looking around her as if she was expecting help from somewhere,» the ranger added.
The lion is an apex predator and key, although it can engage in scavenging behavior if given the opportunity.
Despite her quintessential hunting nature, she seemed to empathize that there might have been a life there, and that seemed to utterly stir and disconcert her.
«The lioness stopped feeding to be next to the baby antelope, she moved it with her nose as if trying to get it to react and get up.
She took it between her mouth and remained motionless for moments that seemed eternal, not knowing what to do with it. She was looking in all directions as if she was waiting for something. »
«After a few minutes she began to walk away from the bush, to get closer to the mother antelope. He stopped before her and very carefully put the baby antelope on the ground. She kept looking around her all the time, she seemed tense and nervous,» he assured.
She seemed as if she wanted to revive the baby at all times, it was as if she understood that a mother always respects herself.
“The lioness slowly returned to where the lifeless body of the mother antelope was found, but it was not to eat again. What the lioness did was lie down next to her body until she fell asleep ».
Perhaps it was her way of telling him: «I didn’t want to do something like that to you and here I am»
This was the most extraordinary moment for Gerry and all the visitors, who had been watching the surreal scene from a distance.
What everyone wondered is if the lioness felt any remorse for having taken a mother’s life or for not being able to save the baby antelope.
«I don’t know if I will ever understand what exactly happened, but I know that in a cruel and beautiful way, we witnessed African magic and its animals,» Gerry concluded.
A disconcerting and moving experience, which shows that even wild animals can be more sensitive and compassionate than humans.
It can be hard to believe that animals are so conscientious as to regret their actions, especially when it comes to these wild animals that hunt for the sole purpose of food.
However, this shocking story does not stop leaving us the deepest of life lessons. I wish that we humans were at least a little like these sublime animals.
