Lions will now start policing regions of Africa...

Message

#1 Unread post by **zarakand** » Wed Jun 22, 2005 9:37 am

From odd news on Reuters.com

Lions Rescue, Guard Beaten Ethiopian Girl

By ANTHONY MITCHELL, Associated Press Writer Tue Jun 21, 8:37 PM ET

ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia - A 12-year-old girl who was abducted and beaten by men trying to force her into a marriage was found being guarded by three lions who apparently had chased off her captors, a policeman said Tuesday.

The girl, missing for a week, had been taken by seven men who wanted to force her to marry one of them, said Sgt. Wondimu Wedajo, speaking by telephone from the provincial capital of Bita Genet, about 350 miles southwest of Addis Ababa.

She was beaten repeatedly before she was found June 9 by police and relatives on the outskirts of Bita Genet, Wondimu said. She had been guarded by the lions for about half a day, he said.

"They stood guard until we found her and then they just left her like a gift and went back into the forest," Wondimu said.

"If the lions had not come to her rescue, then it could have been much worse. Often these young girls are raped and severely beaten to force them to accept the marriage," he said.

Tilahun Kassa, a local government official who corroborated Wondimu's version of the events, said one of the men had wanted to marry the girl against her wishes.

"Everyone thinks this is some kind of miracle, because normally the lions would attack people," Wondimu said.

Stuart Williams, a wildlife expert with the rural development ministry, said the girl may have survived because she was crying from the trauma of her attack.

"A young girl whimpering could be mistaken for the mewing sound from a lion cub, which in turn could explain why they didn't eat her," Williams said.

Ethiopia's lions, famous for their large black manes, are the country's national symbol and adorn statues and the local currency. Despite a recent crackdown, Hunters also kill the animals for their skins, which can fetch $1,000. Williams estimates that only 1,000 Ethiopian lions remain in the wild.

The girl, the youngest of four siblings, was "shocked and terrified" after her abduction and had to be treated for the cuts from her beatings, Wondimu said.

He said police had caught four of the abductors and three were still at large.

Kidnapping young girls has long been part of the marriage custom in Ethiopia. The United Nations estimates that more than 70 percent of marriages in Ethiopia are by abduction, practiced in rural areas where most of the country's 71 million people live.

#2 Unread post by **9000white** » Wed Jun 22, 2005 2:08 pm

i am sure the lions would make a better police force than Atlanta's Finest.

iwannadie · #3 Unread post by **iwannadie** » Wed Jun 22, 2005 2:21 pm

im thinking the lions were sitting around waiting for her to die so they can eat the body.... but ok we can all go along with the fairy tale super police lions. maybe they will make a movie 'Ultra Lion P.D. 3000, Protect and Roar"

#4 Unread post by **t_bonee** » Thu Jun 23, 2005 3:30 am

iwannadie wrote:im thinking the lions were sitting around waiting for her to die so they can eat the body.... but ok we can all go along with the fairy tale super police lions. maybe they will make a movie 'Ultra Lion P.D. 3000, Protect and Roar"

But lion's are predators not scavengers. Wouldn't they just kill her if they wanted to eat her?

AmericanWeiner · Thu Jun 23, 2005 8:28 am

t_bonee wrote:
iwannadie wrote:im thinking the lions were sitting around waiting for her to die so they can eat the body.... but ok we can all go along with the fairy tale super police lions. maybe they will make a movie 'Ultra Lion P.D. 3000, Protect and Roar"
But lion's are predators not scavengers. Wouldn't they just kill her if they wanted to eat her?

Lion males are, in fact, scavengers. However, I don't see why they wouldn't have eaten her despite the fact that she was alive, based on this. It's not like she was trying to get away.

*Shrug*

BuzZz · #6 Unread post by **BuzZz** » Thu Jun 23, 2005 6:42 pm

Any animal that kills to eat will scavange if the chance comes along. It's an easy meal in a hard world, and animals ain't dumb. They know how to survive, and scavangeing is a good option.

But what the deal with these lions was.... got me. Maybe they were bored... saving her for later?

#7 Unread post by **9000white** » Sat Jun 25, 2005 2:01 am

iwannadie wrote:im thinking the lions were sitting around waiting for her to die so they can eat the body.... but ok we can all go along with the fairy tale super police lions. maybe they will make a movie 'Ultra Lion P.D. 3000, Protect and Roar"

what kind of bribes do you think they will accept???

ronboskz650sr · Sat Jun 25, 2005 3:12 am

I wonder if they could keep the local kids away from my bike in the church parking lot.