The Spirit of Marah - White Lion Queen of the Timbavati
April 19th, 2007
One of the most life changing experiences I had was visiting the Timbavati in South Africa last year in September. We went on a Sacred Journey and the highlight of the Journey was that each member of the Journey was able to see Marah and her sub-adult cubs up close in a Land Rover.
Despite being brought up in captivity, the hunting instinct was very strong and she did a fantastic job at teaching Regeus, Letaba and Zaira how to hunt. She became an expert at hunting warthogs and she would dig into their underground burrows to catch them. Sadly after, the recent rains she became trapped in the burrow and this was how she lost her life.
After the sadness my realisation was that the Queen of the White Lions had died an honourable death and that her legacy was done - she had died hunting for the pride in the wild. Queen Marah, you will be sorely missed, but your Spirit and Dignity will live on forever.
May 27th, 2007 at 1:17 pm
Hi Simone,
I live deep in the wilds of the Zambian Bush (my husband and I own a safari company) and I have an incredibly deep connection with lions. I loved your story. It was great to read that Marah was returned to the bush and managed to hunt and raise her young successfully, which can be a real problem when releasing habituated lions.
I can also very much relate to your angst at her passing.
Last June we found one of ‘our’ (they are 100% wild as we are in a national park not a game farm, but I do tend to think of the members of our two local prides as ‘our’ lions) lionesses with a big hole in her throat. We suspected it was a buffalo horn gore. I subsequently named her ‘Five’ after the big hole in her throat chakra and began doing remote reiki on her. I thought I had sensed her recovering.
Late one afternoon about a week later we found the dead body of a young lioness - whilst it had been largely picked clean, her face and paws were still intact. There was a large hole in the pelt of her throat and we were sure it was ‘Five’. I stroked her beautiful silky nose and held her big fat paws in my hands and was unable to hold back the tears at the demise of this beautiful creature.
With a heavy heart I returned to our camp to ponder over the ways of nature. Later that night one of our guides’ returned to camp with the news he had seen ‘Five’ - alive and well with her wound well on the way to healing!
We were absolutely amazed - so sure were we that the carcass had been that of ‘Five’. Who the young lioness was and why she died remains a mystery.
I included some piccies of her in my photographic newsletter that month which you can view at:
http://www.kaingo.com/photo_newsletters/June2006.asp
Nature is brutal at times - there is no denying it, but the lionesses death was just part of the cycle of life in the bush. The prides kill to survive and sometimes in the process are injured/killed themselves. The absolute beauty in your story is that in spite of Marah’s eventual demise, this precious white lion was able to live out the end of her days as nature intended.
Many blessings
Jules
June 15th, 2007 at 1:09 am
Jules, and Simone, though I am a stranger as much to you as to the lions, I feel a strong and deep connection as I read your words a few minutes earlier.
I had a dream in the early 1990’s that impressed me. When I awoke from the dream I realized I had dreamt of an animal that did not exist in reality and I found it
quite asonishing. I remember (in the dream) standing in very close proximity to a white male lion with beautiful brown eyes. He was lying on a thick branch of a low-growing tree. I simply stood there admiring him and being quite amazed. That is all I remember of the dream. I have no idea why the dream came to me…it is a puzzle I continually try to solve. I love
finding new news of the white lions on the internet. Not many people where I live are even aware that they exist, so I speak of them often. I live in North America and South Africa seems so far away, but I feel such a connection to the white lions and the people who are working so hard to ensure their survival. I had the opportunity to visit the white lions at Sigfried and Roy’s Secret Garden in Los Vegas, and bring home some wonderful photos. I am so appreciative that they are so well cared for.
I too am saddened at Marah’s passing but joyful that she lives on in her children and in our hearts.
Peace to you and all who read this.
Dee
June 15th, 2007 at 8:42 am
Hi Jules,
Thank you so much for your beautiful response. It really was beautiful how the lioness’ perfect head and paws were left intact. I think it is wonderful how you spent those moments with her and I can understand how you must have felt.
I was really quite nervous about looking at the photo of her but instead I felt inspired by her beauty. It also helped me to realise that although I didn’t always understand the laws of nature I just had to come to a place where I could feel a peace with it.
After looking at your website, I decided that one day I would really have to come out and meet you:)
Warmest wishes
Simone
June 15th, 2007 at 8:53 am
Hi Dee,
How lovely to hear from you and fantastic to hear about your dream. Have you read a book called the Web of Light by Diana Cooper?
It is a novel about the sacred white lions and what their energy brings to the world. I remember reading it quite some time ago and marvelling about the white lions.
I think it is fantastic that you speak about the white lions in the States as it helps people to have an awareness of them.
Linda Tucker has a wonderful website about the Global White Lion Trust and she updates it regularly. You are also able to subscribe as a member where you receive photos and information regularly.
The website address is http://www.whitelions.org where you can read a dedication to Marah.
Warmest wishes
Simone
June 20th, 2007 at 12:42 am
Simone, thank you for the helpful information. I have a request into the local library for the book you mentioned, as well as a number of others about the white lions. I hope to be gaining much new knowledge over the next few months.
I also checked out Jules’ websight….how beautiful!
The doctor I work for just returned from a safari week. I love to hear her tell about it. I hope someday I can visit and meet the 2 of you.
Can’t you just feel the love:) ?!?!?!?!
Dee