Mother gazelle fights eagle to save baby
Nairobi Star
12 March 2011
BY STEVE KINUTHIA
"A mother's love for her child is like nothing else in the world. It knows no law, no pity, it dares all things and crushes down remorselessly all that stands in its path'' That is what Agatha Christie said about mothers. And I concur with her fully.
Over time, I have witnessed so much in the bush that demonstrates or reflects clearly, most of the saying about mothers by wise people of days gone by. It is in the animal world that I see truthfulness, honesty, true love, true friendship and genuineness.
If you want to enjoy a good game drive, be patient and observant at all times. Respect nature by lowering the level of your consultations and sudden movements, even when you are picnicking in the bush. If you were to adhere to this simple rule, nature will strip itself bare before your eyes, and that will change the way you view life as a whole forever.
We were having picnic lunch under an acacia tree in the plains of Maasai Mara, near the Ashnil camp. About 50 metres away from us, there was a group of Thompson gazelles standing in the shade of another tree, a desert date or Balanites aegyptiaca.
The young of the gazelles rarely move to find shade. They remain hidden in the grass until their mothers come to nurse them and then leave immediately. This helps to make them invisible to cheetahs and other predators who roam the plains in search of food. And that was why we could not see this baby from where we were. But up in the air, the super aerial hunters easily overcome this trick. They have such superior vision that they can make out even a rat in the grass from 200 metres in the air. And up in the sky, an African martial eagle, the world’s second largest eagle, had seen a baby gazelle and was preparing for a nosedive!
The mother knew the exact position of the baby and was lying facing that direction. As the eagle swooped down on the baby gazelle, the mother noticed just before the eagle landed. The other gazelles also saw the descending eagle and made a run for safety. But the mother did not run away. She moved towards the spot where the baby was and positioned herself between the baby and the approaching super eagle. Motherhood status was about to be put to test.
I picked up my binoculars and camera, and alerted my clients on what was happening. They all got the message, collected their photographic equipment, working swiftly but careful not to make noise or abrupt movements that would hamper the progress of the hunt.
The eagle landed just about a metre from the mother and the baby gazelle. Ignoring the presence of the mother, the eagle leapt above her and expertly landed on the baby with one claw clutching the baby’s spine. The eagle tried to hop on the other leg to gain momentum for a lift off. The mother turned around and, with the only weapon she owned, she charged at the eagle and hit it squarely in the middle of the wingspan which was already open for take off. The eagle stumbled and fell forward, releasing the baby.
Stung by the loss of his meal, the eagle turned on the mother. It spread its gigantic wings to intimidate the small female Thompson gazelle. But she would not be intimidated. Not when she had to save the life of her baby. She held her ground. With the baby right behind her tail, she knelt on the ground, pointed her horns towards the eagle and crawled towards it. The eagle stepped back a few paces and jumped on the mother’s neck with both claws extended for maximum damage. The mother compensated for her weak horns with speed. She ducked the claws and while the eagle was still facing the opposite direction, drove her short horns into the rear end of the eagle. The eagle fled.
The baby, as though to congratulate his mother, came from behind, licked her forehead as if kissing her and proceeded to nurse. From where we were, we applauded loudly in awe of the power of a mother.
Article at: http://www.nairobistar.com/weekend/bushman-adventures/17011-mother-gazelle-fights-eagle-to-save-baby-#
