Kamuniak
Encyclopedia
Kamunyak is a lioness
in the Samburu National Reserve
, in Northern Kenya
.
She is famous for having adopted at least 6 oryx
calves, and fighting off predators and lion prides which attempted to eat her charges. She suffered starvation
, since the calves will not act like lion cubs and wait somewhere while she hunts for food.
Her story was recorded by Saba Douglas-Hamilton
and her sister, Dudu, between January 2002 - August 2003. Their film, Heart of a Lioness, was first shown on the BBC
and later premiered in the United States on Animal Planet
in March 2005. Video clips from this film can be accessed on the Discovery Channel
website, together with audio interviews with pictures and an extensive discussion.
She was last sighted in February 2004, and despite a number of searches, has not been seen since.
Lion
The lion is one of the four big cats in the genus Panthera, and a member of the family Felidae. With some males exceeding 250 kg in weight, it is the second-largest living cat after the tiger...
in the Samburu National Reserve
Samburu National Reserve
The Samburu National Reserve is located on the banks of the Ewaso Ng'iro river in Kenya; on the other side of the river is the Buffalo Springs National Reserve in Northern Kenya. It is 165 km² in size and 350 kilometers from Nairobi and ranges in altitude from 800 to 1230m above sea level...
, in Northern Kenya
Kenya
Kenya , officially known as the Republic of Kenya, is a country in East Africa that lies on the equator, with the Indian Ocean to its south-east...
.
She is famous for having adopted at least 6 oryx
Oryx
Oryx is one of four large antelope species of the genus Oryx. Three of the species are native to arid parts of Africa, with a fourth native to the Arabian Peninsula. Their pelage is pale with contrasing dark markings in the face and on the legs, and their long horns are almost straight...
calves, and fighting off predators and lion prides which attempted to eat her charges. She suffered starvation
Starvation
Starvation is a severe deficiency in caloric energy, nutrient and vitamin intake. It is the most extreme form of malnutrition. In humans, prolonged starvation can cause permanent organ damage and eventually, death...
, since the calves will not act like lion cubs and wait somewhere while she hunts for food.
Her story was recorded by Saba Douglas-Hamilton
Saba Douglas-Hamilton
Saba Iassa Douglas-Hamilton is a Kenyan wildlife conservationist and television presenter.-Early life:Born on a farm near Naivasha in the Great Rift Valley in Kenya, she is the daughter of zoologist, Iain Douglas-Hamilton and Oria Douglas-Hamilton née Rocco. Saba means "seven" in Swahili...
and her sister, Dudu, between January 2002 - August 2003. Their film, Heart of a Lioness, was first shown on the BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
and later premiered in the United States on Animal Planet
Animal Planet
Animal Planet is an American cable tv specialty channel that launched on October 1, 1996. It is distributed by Discovery Communications. A high-definition simulcast of the channel launched on September 1, 2007.-History:...
in March 2005. Video clips from this film can be accessed on the Discovery Channel
Discovery Channel
Discovery Channel is an American satellite and cable specialty channel , founded by John Hendricks and distributed by Discovery Communications. It is a publicly traded company run by CEO David Zaslav...
website, together with audio interviews with pictures and an extensive discussion.
She was last sighted in February 2004, and despite a number of searches, has not been seen since.
See also
- Owen and MzeeOwen and MzeeOwen and Mzee are a hippopotamus and an Aldabra giant tortoise, respectively, that became the subject of media attention after forming an unusual bond of friendship. They live in Haller Park, Malindi, Kenya....
, a hippopotamusHippopotamusThe hippopotamus , or hippo, from the ancient Greek for "river horse" , is a large, mostly herbivorous mammal in sub-Saharan Africa, and one of only two extant species in the family Hippopotamidae After the elephant and rhinoceros, the hippopotamus is the third largest land mammal and the heaviest...
and a tortoiseTortoiseTortoises are a family of land-dwelling reptiles of the order of turtles . Like their marine cousins, the sea turtles, tortoises are shielded from predators by a shell. The top part of the shell is the carapace, the underside is the plastron, and the two are connected by the bridge. The tortoise... - List of historical cats
External links
- Saba & Dudu Douglas-Hamilton website - produced a film "Heart of a Lioness" based on Kamunyak's story
- discovery.com - Animal Planet fansite for Heart of a Lioness, including videos, interviews and discussion
- Magical Kenya News Article - 7 January 2002
- Magical Kenya News Article - 18 February 2002
- Magical Kenya News Article - 11 March 2002
- Magical Kenya News Article - 1 April 2002
- Magical Kenya News Article - 10 October 2002
- Magical Kenya News Article
- Carte Blanche Interactive article - 2 March 2003