Kisah ini bukanlah kisah manusia, tetapi kisah cerita antara seekor anak monyet jenis Baboon dengan Singa betina Afrika yang terkenal buas. Bermula dari perjalanan dua orang turis yang mengunjungi taman nasional Bostwana di Afrika, kedua turis tadi mengabadikan kejadian yang langka, yaitu singa betina merawat anak monyet jenis Baboon yang induknya mati diterkam olehnya.
Tentu saja kita sebagai manusia sulit memahami apa makna dari kejadian itu, ada dua jenis makhluk ciptaan Tuhan yang sangat berbeda jauh "Gen"-nya namun mau bersatu bahkan merawat. Sebagai bayi baboon yang berumur sekitar satu bulan, tentu bayi itu masih menyusu induknya, sedangkan induknya sudah habis dicabik-cabik sang singa betina..sebagai gantinya, dengan naluri anak tak ubahnya seperti bayi manusia, saat dia merasa lapar atau haus tentu akan meminta susu. Lalu bagaimana dengan singa betina yang merawat bayi baboon, apakah dia mau menyusuinya ?
Karena Oyin mendapat artikel ini dari situs di luar sana yang menggunakan bahasa Inggris, untuk menghindari kesalahpahaman dalam translasi, silakan Oyiners yang mampu berbahasa Inggris terjemahkan secara lengkap. Pada artikel ini, Oyin hanya memberikan sinopsisnya...hehehe
Tapi dengan melihat foto-foto kejadian langka pada artikel ini, Oyiners pasti sudah bisa memahami apa makna di balik semua itu..
This is one of the most remarkable wildlife interactions that I have come across in my time. The photographs are amazing, but it’s the touching behaviour of the animals involved that makes this story so unique.
Photographer Evan Schiller and Lisa Holzwarth were on a game drive in the northern Botswana’s Selinda Camp when they came across a big troop of baboons charging through the bush.
“30-40 baboons were heading in our general direction making a lot of noise,” Lisa recalls.
The baboons were obviously frightened by something and they all scampered up trees, shouting, alarming, and making a big scene. It quickly became clear what the problem was: two large lionesses came out of the tall grass and rushed the baboons into the trees, soon joined by two more lionesses.
“Between the baboons shrieking and the lionesses communicating with deep guttural roars, it was a mad scene,” Lisa says.
But then the real chaos began! One brave baboon descended the dead tree and tried to make a run for it… but got snapped up in the jaws of a lioness.
Instinct took over and the baby tried to make a go for a tree, but did not have the strength to climb.
At this point the lioness noticed the “little guy” and went over to investigate. Photograph by Evan Schiller Instead of snapping the baby up in a deadly movement, she started to play with the baboon. The lioness was inquisitive and gentle at the same time.
“The baby was showing signs of physical harm and fatigue from the whole ordeal. The lioness picked the baby up in her mouth it was in agony watching the baby’s ordeal and I kept on turning off the video option on my camera because it was hard to record.”
After a while Evan Schiller picked up the baboon softly in her mouth and walked away, then settled down with the baby between her paws. What happened next blew our minds the baby, in another instinctual moment, held onto the lioness’ chest and tried to suckle the lioness
Here’s where it gets interesting: Waiting in a nearby tree is a big male baboon, who is obviously intent on saving the baby. The male lions were causing such a ruckus that it presented a short window of opportunity for the brave hero to descend the tree, grab the baby and head back to safety.
“I was touched by how gently the father baboon held this little baby who was in tough shape after its ordeal.”
The father baboon had to make a move. Holding the baby, in all sorts of contorted positions, he tried numerous times to climb down the tree. He tested the lionesses’ interest with each descent. Photograph by Evan Schiller
The baby baboon was really struggling with the heat and the father baboon really needed to get him into the shade. Finally, with the combination of daring courage and the lions own desire to take cover in some shade, he was able to dash to the safety and shade of a neighbouring tree.
And what happened to the baby? It seems the little guy survived with the help of his troop. He was alive and safe in his father’s arms when Evan and Lisa left.
“No matter what,” Lisa says. “The young baboon remains an inspiration to me and a reminder, that life is fragile and no matter how much we fight to control its outcome, all we can do is live in the moment.”
Posted by Paul Steyn
.png){kind=logo}
