Lions rescued kidnapped girl, say police (a truly amazing story)

[truthpusher]

this is just amazing. I love this story....


http://www.iol.co.za/index.php?set_id=1&click_id=68&art_id=qw111936222132B231

Lions rescued kidnapped girl, say police
-------------------
June 21 2005 at 03:55PM
By Anthony Mitchell
-------------------
Addis Ababa, Ethiopia - Police say three lions rescued a 12-year-old girl kidnapped by men who wanted to force her into marriage, chasing off her abductors and guarding her until police and relatives tracked her down in a remote corner of Ethiopia.

The men had held the girl for seven days, repeatedly beating her, before the lions chased them away and guarded her for half a day before her family and police found her, Sergeant Wondimu Wedajo said Tuesday by telephone from the provincial capital of Bita Genet, about 560km west of the capital, Addis Ababa.

"They stood guard until we found her and then they just left her like a gift and went back into the forest," Wondimu said, adding he did not know whether the lions were male or female.

'A young girl whimpering could be mistaken for the mewing sound from a lion cub'

News of the June 9 rescue was slow to filter out from Kefa Zone in south-western Ethiopia.

"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.

complete story: http://www.iol.co.za/index.php?set_id=1&click_id=68&art_id=qw111936222132B231

[Roland99]

1. Wow!

[lenidog]

3. Okay I second that motion WOW!!

[Massacure]

8. I concur and third that motion. WOW!

[Thor_MN]

90. Someone finally found a use for the Detriot Defensive Line?

Wow

[nolabels]

106. "many experts left the Detroit Pistons for dead"

Pistons Force Game 7 in NBA Finals

After losing game 5 at home, many experts left the Detroit Pistons for dead. But true champions never say die. Facing elimination and a hostile crowd on the road, the defending NBA champion Detroit Pistons managed to get clutch play from Rasheed Wallace down the stretch to earn a 95-86 win in game 6 of the NBA finals. That evens the series at 3-3 and sets up a seventh and deciding game Thursday night in San Antonio.

Thursday night's game will be the first game 7 in the NBA finals since 1994.
(snip)
http://www.wiredreport.com/showarticles.php?id=3030

[malaise]

2. a beautiful story

Animals are the only safe allies these days.

[barb162]

6. I agree

plus I have 4 cats and love them dearly

[htuttle]

4. The girl's name wasn't Sheena, was it?

[asjr]

11. LOL.

[jsamuel]

5. wow is correct

[Mandate My Ass]

7. beautiful...major goosebumps

Ethiopia's lions, famous for their large black manes, are the country's national symbol and adorn statues and the local currency.

It doesn't say whether the rescue lions were male or female. It would be unusual if they were male, wouldn't it?

[aneerkoinos]

9. IIRC

There was few years ago a story about a (IIRC male) lion adopting a "Bambi" (orphan calf of a gazelle or sumfink) nursing and protecting it. Alas, the lion couldn't feed the little one, so it died of malnourishment.

[meganmonkey]

12. Remember the ancient tortoise who adopted a baby hippo after the tsunami?

Animals are so cool. Maybe if we remembered we were animals too, we'd act much cooler :)

[UCLA Dem]

23. I didn't that story. Do you have link??

[meganmonkey]

26. Here's a link!

Tsunami hippo befriends tortoise

A baby hippo rescued after floods in Kenya caused by the tsunami in the Indian Ocean has befriended a 100-year-old tortoise in a zoo.
The one-year-old hippo calf, who keepers have called Owen, was found alone and dehydrated by wildlife rangers near the ocean.

He was put in a wildlife enclosure near Mombassa, and soon became pals with the tortoise, who is a similar colour.

Park officials say they sleep and eat together, and have become inseparable.


http://news.bbc.co.uk/cbbcnews/hi/newsid_4150000/newsid_4155100/4155115.stm

[pie]

29. I wonder if those two are still best friends

I hope someone with a film crew is keeping track

[UCLA Dem]

30. Oh, what a wonderful story! Thanks!

[NYC]

89. Another adopted orphan:

Oryx adopted warthog.

[BlueIris]

93. That story--seriously--changed my attitude entirely.

I started reading about it right after The Boxer Rebellion (when I was nice and bitter and not wanting to be involved in any more activism). I looked at the picture of the little, stranded hippo snuggled up to that tortoise and I realized--if that is how other animals on this planet are choosing to deal with extreme adversity, then what excuse do I have to be so sedentary?

[Lizzie Borden]

112. Bingo Meganmonkey!

I think you're on to something.

[Mandate My Ass]

13. awwww

It doesn't matter to me one way or another. I love this story because it renews my faith that there is some grand cosmic plan for the lions to lay down with the lambs, so to speak. It's easy to lose sight of that nowadays.

I really love lions. The only chick flick I can bear to watch is "Out of Africa" because at the end the lions come and lay on DFH's grave.

[tblue37]

100. No, it was a lioness,

and she adopted an oryx. Her mate ate it. Since then, she has adopted two others:

Lioness Adopts Third Oryx

April 3 — A lioness living in the Samburu National Reserve (SNR) in Kenya that recently puzzled wildlife experts and amazed tourists by adopting two baby oryx has adopted a third.
The 3-day-old calf is in good health, but defenseless.

"We are baffled," said SNR Chief Warden Simon Leirana. "We do not know what to do with this third oryx."

The first oryx, which the lioness — named Kaminuiak — adopted in late December, was killed by another lion. . . .
animal.discovery.com/news/briefs/200204/thirdoryx.html

She actually allows the calves' mothers to nurse them.
There is more in the article, though it is short.

[Lorien]

50. Young male lions often don't have manes

it takes a few years for a full mane to develop. Even domestic long haired cats can take up to 4 1/2 years to develop a full coat.

[ashling]

101. What???

Oh, I thought you said they don't have NAMES . . .

nevermind.

[redqueen]

10. Thank God someone protected her...

how amazing that it was lions that did so!

[lenidog]

15. The guys who kidnapped her were probably scared to death

even if they were armed. I mean I would be if three lions appeared out of no where and started to defend a little girl. I would figure there was some strange powerful mojo at work.

[daleo]

14. I will confess to skeptisism

It seems too good to be true, and there are too many religious overtones for me not to wonder about some urban legend aspect. But, nice if it really happened.

[lenidog]

16. Good possibility but stranger things have happened

[truthpusher]

19. I have no doubt when it comes to things like this...

[evolvenow]

79. Beautiful Truthpusher! Animals are sentient, brave and compassionate

we have so much to learn.

Clearly animals are compassionate enough to protect humans, shouldn't we humans be even more compassionate in our care and protection of animals?  This is a very important question for human beings to consider and act on in their daily lives.

Anyone that can, please consider becoming vegetarian, even if it is just one meal a week, a day...

If you have the energy, resources, time, please adopt, foster and rescue animals and children.

Animals demonstrate what it means to protect and care for one another. We must learn this lesson and apply it.

I cannot wait for the time when violence will no longer even be a thought form, let alone an action.


Love the water crystal photos, his works is genius and so profound. We are all inter-connected and are natural state of being is love. Stories like the one about the lions saving the little girl must remind us of this basic truth..Do no Harm.

Thanks so much!

kick for compassion!

[KittyWampus]

31. Remember Story Of Python Carrying Woman & Girl To Safely In Tsunami Flood

a mother could no longer hold onto her little girl in the tsunami flood. She saw a woman neighbor swimming closeby and asked her to guard her daughter. The neighbor held onto the girl and then a python came swimming by. The woman and girl grabbed onto the python and got carried to safetly.

[Kraklen]

34. Agreed.

Unless the girl managed to crawl into some crevice where the lions couldn't get to her, I'm highly skeptical.

[Zynx]

41. Maybe the lions weren't hungry

Lions don't have to eat all that frequently.

[TheWraith]

85. Normal pack lions don't eat humans.

Those that do eat human beings are fairly rare, and always loners. Those that belong to a pack won't eat people. Which isn't to say that if you piss them off, they won't kick your ass, and possibly kill you--I once heard a story about a guy in Australia who decided to try out his martial arts skills by attacking a lion at the Melbourne zoo. The next day, the zookeepers found the lions carrying around his hands as trophys. But they won't eat you.

[roscoeroscoe]

54. this happens!

my second wife's daughter was severely mentally handicapped. she got out, and frantic hours ensued in jersey city looking for her. finally, she was found by mom... at the end of an alley being guarded by a female dog, a complete mongrel junkyard dog. the girl had to come to momma, the dog wouldn't let anyone get close to her. animals are really in tune. we're the one's who seem to have trouble...
ever see the book about the little dog who rescued kittens?

[BrklynLiberal]

76. The Dog Who Rescues Cats: The True Story of Ginny

by Philip Gonzalez, Leonore Fleischer "THIS IS THE TRUE STORY of the most amazing dog I've ever known...

This poignant canine memoir recounts the story of Ginny, a Long Island dog with a remarkable ability to seek out and rescue homeless cats. Simple but delightful, the story is narrated from the perspective of Ginny's owner, Philip Gonzalez. Badly disabled in an industrial accident, Gonzalez quickly fell into a downward spiral of despair. His saving grace arrived in the form of a small, scruffy grey dog. Ginny quickly provided Philip with a focus in life: cats--hundreds of them. Each chapter recounts Ginny's amazing rescues of helpless felines. Particularly heartwarming is the image of Ginny running across broken glass to reach a kitten in distress. As Ginny saved cats, Philip housed them, and soon his life was taken over by the creatures--many disabled or disfigured. The Dog Who Rescues Cats is packed with touching photographs of Ginny and her feline family. Included is an introduction by Cleveland Amory, noted animal enthusiast and author of The Cat Who Came for Christmas.

from AMAZON.COM

[annabanana]

80. my home town

We now have a huge population of feral cats that a few people come around and feed. They breed, and then many die horrible deaths in the winter or get hit by cars.

[roguevalley]

81. Ginny is awesome. Dogs often protect things. a dog in Kenya

saved a baby from a dump, dragging her back to her own pups. She was saved. I hope that mongrel you mentioned got a good home. ANimals are truly from the heart of God.

[shrike]

61. Animals will do this, occasionally

Never heard of an African lion before, but there was a cougar out west who guarded a young girl until rescuers came. Read a book recently that was based on a true story: autistic boy lost on the Canadian prairie was befriended by a female badger.

[fishwax]

66. Incident at Hawk's Hill?

Was that the book? My mom read that book to us in the car on a family vacation when I was young. I thought it was a great book. :)

[shrike]

74. Yep, that was it

I read it even though it's a kid's book and loved it. Based on a true incident though I'm sure it was gussied up for publication.

I'm not one for anthromorphizing animals, but they are more complicated than we think.

[Lilith Velkor]

67. Cool!

Got links? I love stuff like this...

[shrike]

75. I've got a horse story for you

Happened to my family. My father told this one for years. My older sister (just a toddler then) was nowhere to be found. We lived on a farm and Dad feared the worst. Our old barn had two levels: main level, and then a basement. The horses could access the basement from the paddock in case of inclement weather. He heard the horses clip-clopping around the basement and ran down there.

One of our oldest mares was in the very center of the basement. My sister stood under her belly, patting away. Horse wouldn't let any others near her, and they were all crowded around. Any time one of them would get near the mare would nip, snort and put back her ears. That mare got treated royally for the rest of her life.

[pie]

118. that is one awesome story

[shrike]

120. We thought so, too

On the one hand I hate anthromorphizing animals. On the other hand, most people don't realize what they're capable of -- the things they can do, and the level of intelligence they have.

[rooboy]

17. Was it divine intervention? Geraldo interviews the lions.... live at 10.

eom

[Catherine Vincent]

18. What a wonderful story.

The little girl's cries is what prompted the lions to save her (according to the article). The lions it for baby cubs so they may have been female.

[Minnesota_Lib]

20. Obviously not right-wing inclinded lions.....they didn't eat her alive.

:D

[UCLA Dem]

21. Thats a truly amazing story.

[Schema Thing]

22. Touching if true, but if I have to bet my life savings on it's veracity...

... w/o being able to do further confirmation, I'm going to bet on it being apocryphal.

[Straight Shooter]

24. I wish all the kidnappers and rapists would see it as a sign, and stop.

Too many criminals, not enough lions.

Great story, though. That young girl has some powerful friends in the Universe.

[Chimpeach]

62. True.....

Only about 1,000 lions remain in the wild in Ethiopia, according to the article.

[Megahurtz]

25. The lions should have

had those guys for dinner......

[Catherine Vincent]

45. It's a good thing the lions didn't eat the guys.

Had they done that, the girl would have been the only witness and no one would have believed her. Although I guess the remaining carcass would be evidence.:-)

[burrowowl]

104. Since humans

seem to taste like pork, maybe the lions weren't interested.

[jsamuel]

27. CONFIRMED BY CNN.com

http://www.cnn.com/2005/WORLD/africa/06/21/ethiopia.lions.ap/index.html

ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia (AP) -- Police say three lions rescued a 12-year-old girl kidnapped by men who wanted to force her into marriage, chasing off her abductors and guarding her until police and relatives tracked her down in a remote corner of Ethiopia.

The men had held the girl for seven days, repeatedly beating her, before the lions chased them away and guarded her for half a day before her family and police found her, Sgt. Wondimu Wedajo said Tuesday by telephone from the provincial capital of Bita Genet, some 560 kilometers (348 miles) west of the capital, Addis Ababa.

"They stood guard until we found her and then they just left her like a gift and went back into the forest," Wondimu said, adding he did not know whether the lions were male or female.
...

[paula777]

38. Also in that CNN story (WTF?)

In Ethiopia, kidnapping has long been part of the marriage custom, a tradition of sorrow and violence whose origins are murky.

The United Nations estimates that more than 70 percent of marriages in Ethiopia are by abduction, practiced in rural areas where the majority of the country's 71 million people live.

[doodadem]

60. Are there not enough women to go around?

Or are they just going after young girls? I mean, what's the problem here?

As for the story itself, what's the word?--when you attribute human emotions to animals? Can't think of it. I put this story in the same catagory as the stray dog feeding the baby about a month ago. Nice fairy tale. Don't get me wrong, total animal lover, but I am dubious.

[Lilith Velkor]

68. Anthropomorphism

That's the word. And yes, they are mainly going for young girls, or so I hear.

[doodadem]

71. That's it!

Thank you!

[BlueIris]

94. That is totally WTF. nt.

[johnaries]

121. How's THAT for the sanctity of marriage?

:shrug:

[daleo]

43. Well, repeated by CNN anyway.

I suppose we have to decide whether or not to believe the police report ultimately. The lions may have just been saving her for a later meal of course.

Animal behavior can be surprising though. I have seen magpies chase cats away from the unprotected nests of other birds, for example.

[Chimpeach]

28. Now that's what I call.....

good ju-ju!

Cool story.

[KittyWampus]

32. Some Humans/Societies Live Closer To A State Of Grace (Primal Unity)

it is to be expected that those who live in and by a Materialist viewpoint would doubt or not believe this story.

[pie]

36. I absolutely believe this story

Some African herding tribes live side by side the lions.
So little is known about the wild cats - much less about wild cat/
human interaction.

[Number9Dream]

33. Here's a great dolphin story from a few months ago...

WELLINGTON, New Zealand (Reuters) -- A pod of dolphins circled protectively round a group of New Zealand swimmers to fend off an attack by a great white shark, media reported on Tuesday.
Lifesavers Rob Howes, his 15-year-old daughter Niccy, Karina Cooper and Helen Slade were swimming 100 metres (300 feet) off Ocean Beach near Whangarei on New Zealand's North Island when the dolphins herded them -- apparently to protect them from a shark.
"They started to herd us up, they pushed all four of us together by doing tight circles around us," Howes told the New Zealand Press Association (NZPA).
Howes tried to drift away from the group, but two of the bigger dolphins herded him back just as he spotted a three-meter (nine feet) great white shark swimming towards the group.
"I just recoiled. It was only about 2 meters (6 feet) away from me, the water was crystal clear and it was as clear as the nose on my face," Howes said.
"They had corralled us up to protect us," he said.
The lifesavers spent the next 40 minutes surrounded by the dolphins before they could safely swim back to shore.
The incident happened on October 30, but the lifesavers kept the story to themselves until now.
Environment group Orca Research said dolphins attacked sharks to protect themselves and their young, so their actions in protecting the lifesavers was understandable.
"They could have sensed the danger to the swimmers and taken action to protect them," Orca's Ingrid Visser told NZPA.

[paula777]

35. Don't sharks eat dolphins?

[Zynx]

39. Actually, dolphins can easily kill sharks.

Dolphins are mammals and thus have bone skeletons. Sharks have cartilidge. There isn't anything hard in a shark other than its teeth.

Consequently, dolphins can ram sharks, seriously injuring or killing them. Sharks know this.

[paula777]

42. I had no idea ......thanks for the info. n/t

[Kraklen]

44. Large sharks will.

Great Whites, for example.

[geniph]

55. Orcas kill sharks, including great whites

they won't tolerate them around the young whales. That's why we don't get great white sharks in Puget Sound - the resident orca pods kill them very quickly.

Sharks certainly will try to kill dolphins, when they can catch them, but dolphins are the fastest swimmers known. They can blow right by a shark, plus the pod acts in concert. Sharks don't work together - in fact, they're as likely to attack one another as another target when they're agitated.

Sharks don't have that oversized mammalian brain going for them. Dolphins, including orcas (the largest dolphin species), DO.

There are thousands of stories of dolphins protecting and saving shipwrecked sailors and swimmers who've been overwhelmed by riptides. I think they think our swimming abilities are humorously pathetic. ;-)

[Lilith Velkor]

69. Dolphins and sharks eat the same things

That's why they kill each other.

[pie]

37. Another great story

[roguevalley]

82. dolphins save people a lot. they are wonderful.

[whatever4]

40. It's sweet

That animals like that, lions that certainly do know the fear and hatred of man, can still find it within themselves to care for a human. A crying, puny human. Just amazing. You know, if humans don't "make it", I sure hope some of these wonderful animals we've evolved with do. We sure enough gave them all the knowledge they'd need about what NOT to do. They sure do deserve the chance. Hope mother Gaia saves them ;)

[loudsue]

48. I hope those of us who love the animals survive with them...

The ones that are arrogant or hateful or cold, and DON'T honor and love the animals...well, maybe they'll get "raptured", or some shit like that....and leave the rest of the world in peace.

[byronius]

46. This would make a great movie. Harry Potter-ette and the Lions of Genet.

[Lilith Velkor]

70. Hermoine Granger in Africa?

That would rock!

[Sparkle]

47. Those lions must be descendants of Simba the Lion King.

:-)

[Gregorian]

49. Evidently these lions were Democrats

Because had they been republican lions, they'd have let her fend for herself.



What a beautiful story. We're all animals. Some more considerate than others.

[rocktivity]

51. Lions can smell fear--maybe they can smell vulnerability, too

"Stuart Williams, a wildlife expert...said that it was likely that the young girl was saved 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 (the lions) didn't eat her," Williams said. "Otherwise they probably would have done."

Well, maybe they weren't hungry. Or maybe they sensed the girl didn't belong with the men. How did they know it was safe to leave the girl with her resucers--by the way she reacted?

[emcguffie]

52. It is amazing, but it has been noted --

-- that cats, including lionesses and farm cats -- will cooperatively take care of the young-'uns. If they aren't careful, a marauding male may come in and kill the kittens/cubs so he can then mate with the female.

I think it's their group mother instinct kicking in. All young mammals have the same kind of appealing qualities that make adults -- certainly people, but one might think other mammals as well -- want to take care of them.

Imagine finding a stranded kitten being badgered by a bunch of teenagers. What would that do to you (especially if you are female, but not females only...)

Why do we think animals are so different from us? That "save the baby" instinct is what keeps species going, and I don't see any reason why it can't cross species, in more than one direction.

Just my two cents.

[Miss Chybil]

59. Fine point. My pug follows me everywhere, but on Father's Day

my husband began crying because he missed his father. (His father died a few years ago, but this is the first time my husband cried.) Anyway, my pug wouldn't leave his side for hours. It was amazing.

[malaise]

108. True stories

When I heard that my mum died, I was bawling like a baby. Our cat wasn't the most affectionate of animals, but she jumped on the bed purring and would not leave me. She licked me as if I was one of her kittens. When my other half came home I told him about it and we both concluded that she reacted that way because had never ever seen me cry before.

Years ago, I had two dogs and a cat. One weekend we took the dogs with us on a seaside trip. When we returned, we noticed that the cat jumped out of the window and insisted on coming for our usual evening walks with the dogs. She had no intention of being left alone again. That was too funny - even the neighbours laughed at her.
Animals are wonderful.
<edit -sp>

[Miss Chybil]

113. I wish I could see a cat going on a walk with the dogs! That's priceless.

Sorry about your mom... :hug:

[Kmarx]

53. Really!

As much as I would like to believe the story, I take it with a large and I mean large grain of salt.

[Shallah Kali]

95. There have been a few proven cases of children raised by animals -link

http://www.feralchildren.com/en/index.php

Sometimes maternal instinct overrides all else and so animals will care for other specials including humans.

[Name removed]

107. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Shallah Kali]

116. I think it is possible

especially as it was a short term rescue vs. the unlikely legends of infants reared by wolves. One of the cases on the feral children site was a young girl raised by the family dogs. Her brain never fully developed due to the lack of stimulation and only has basic language and still acts more dog like than human. There was a docummentary about her and other feral children on Discovery or TLC around a year ago.

[truthisfreedom]

56. time to import more lions into jeb territory.

millions of them, i'd say.

[geniph]

57. Ever start crying around your pet cats?

I can't speak for yours, but mine get really agitated if I'm upset, or my husband is. They do everything in their power to comfort us. I have no doubt at all that lions can react the same way; it's certainly not common, but absolutely plausible. All mammals know a vulnerable youngster when they see or smell one, and most will try to protect one against other predators, even one of another species.

Because female lions have to band together to save each other's cubs from stray males of their own species, there's a certain instinctive protection of cubs from males that could easily kick in in a case like this. Had she been being threatened by women, it's doubtful they'd have protected her the same way.

[demo dutch]

73. Amazing! Our cat attacked my in law's dog, when my husband

was playing tug and pull with a toy. The dog proceeded to growl (in a playful manner) The cat immediately jumped the dog and went straight for the dogs throat wanting to protect my husband. The dog is at least 5 times her size! We are dog sitting him and she's constantly keeping a eye on the dog. Never knew that felines could be so protective other than about their offspring.

[geniph]

88. All mammals have at least some instinct to protect young

even young of other species. That's why you can put a lamb to suckle with puppies. And the mother dog will defend it just like a puppy, too. The cases of wolves protecting human young are too numerous to ignore. The case just a year or so ago of the great apes protecting the child who fell into their enclosure. Cats are no different; if you set off that protective parental (usually maternal, but not always) instinct, they'll protect young of other species. I've seen male cats protect a hamster from other cats! She-bears have been known to protect toddlers they found in the woods.

[demo dutch]

117. Our cat is indeed a female

[Miss Chybil]

58. Absolutely awesome.

:bounce:

[bvar22]

63. Bug says:

"SO???? Cats are smart??!!!
This is NEWS????"

[NNN0LHI]

65. Is that your Gray Tabby?

That fella appears to be carrying a little mouse pouch under his belly. Got one myself with a similar gut on him. I like to have a Gray Tabby around the house. Had one since I was a kid. The one I got now has managed to wrangle the premium sleeping position between my wife and I in bed at night. Can't figure out how he bamboozled the two dogs into that but he did.

Don

[bvar22]

72. That's just his fur coat. He's pretty trim.

There are more pics of him on DU.


http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=243x6017

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=243&topic_id=2668&mesg_id=2668

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=243x6286

[NNN0LHI]

84. Nice photos

Enjoyed looking at them. Thanks for posting them.

Don

[pie]

87. Excellent pictures, very enjoyable reading!

[GoddessOfGuinness]

64. I think I'll save a lion

http://shop.awf.org/adopt/default.aspx
http://www.bornfree.org.uk/lions/conservation.shtml

Gratitude is important...

[flvegan]

77. If you want to help a big cat

check these folks out:
http://www.bigcatrescue.org/

Big Cat Rescue is in Tampa. I know the owner/founder personally. They are a well respected rescue (Google and see).

They do wonderful work, and not a dime will be wasted. And, as far as I know, not a Bushbot amongst them.

Just an idea...

[margaritamama]

78. We could use a few

of those lions here in Florida! Wow, what an awesome story..truely unbelievable

[David Zephyr]

83. Kick.

:)

[TroubleMan]

86. Whoa!!! 70% of marriages in Ethiopia are by ABDUCTION!!

Read down into the article....

Man....that's just wrong.

[Niccolo_Macchiavelli]

92. slavery anyone?

come for safari to ethiopia and hunt your future spouse /sarcasm

[daleo]

98. There is some debate about consent

In some cases these may be ritual kidnappings, with the bride and groom agreeing beforehand (sometimes to circumvent parents wishes). In many other cases it seems to be without consent.

There is an interesting anthropoligical study from Kyrgyzstan, which may be somewhat similar to Ethiopia (they mention Ethiopia in the article, but only in passing). About 300 cases were examined, although it wasn't a random sample, so the results aren't necessarily statistically robust.

Here are some figures on the matter of consent. Not surprisingly perhaps, males believe that there is more consent than females. Natually, being a westerner I don't agree with the whole notion.

Table 4: Degree of Consent and Involvement

All
Male
Female

Woman kidnapped with her own consent
26%
45%
17%

Woman kidnapped through deception
42%
36%
45%

Woman kidnapped by physical force
23%
20%
24%

Man wanted kidnapping to occur
85%
78%
89%

Woman wanted kidnapping to occur
17%
25%
13%

Man helped plan the kidnapping
78%
81%
76%

Woman helped plan kidnapping
10%
18.5%
7%

Friends of man helped plan kidnapping
75%
81.5%
73%

Friends of woman helped plan kidnapping
11%
12%
11%

Friends of the man helped kidnap woman
86%
91%
84%

Friends of woman helped kidnap woman
18%
16%
19%

Mother of man wanted kidnapping to occur
32%
37%
30%

Mother of woman wanted kidnapping
6%
11%
4%

Father of man wanted kidnapping to occur
27%
34%
24%

Father of woman wanted kidnapping
3%
8%
1.5%

http://faculty.philau.edu/kleinbachr/new_page_1.htm

[pie]

119. Those are some horrible statistics

[knitter4democracy]

91. Thank God for the lions!

It reminds me of St. Mary of Egypt's story of being with a lion and actually being buried by one. I always wondered about that part.

I think we all communicate, animal and human, on a deeper level.

[TexasLawyer]

96. Just printed off the story for my 11 year-old

at summer camp. A very easy "letter from home."

[Gloria]

97. Lions 2008!!!

eom

[bobbieinok]

99. maybe animal kingdom has decided humans are so dumb they

must be protected

or at least young humans must be protected in hope they get some sense

[ashling]

102. Maybe, just maybe

my Democratic Party can show some lion like fortitude and rescue a kidnapped country.

[BreweryYardRat]

103. Aww...

Very cool. I'm willing to believe it.

[truthpusher]

105. Kick for Awwww...

[AnneD]

109. There are many mysteries in this world (still)

and there are many knowns. I have encountered enough animals in my life to respect the instinct to protect the young (generally more maternal but not solely the provence of the females). I doubt the lion's eyesite or hearing was so poor that they could not distinguish human from cub. I take it at face value, but the spititualist in me wants to believe that Guardian Angels exist and take different forms (or communicate with animals). Hopefully this will be a blessing for this young girl and no further attempts to kidnap her will take place. What a cruel practice.

[Rich Hunt]

110. wow, indeed

Looks as if even the lions (and bears) behave better than some people.

At least they seem to know how to treat women better than some.

[donheld]

111. I love stories like this too

:bounce:

[KansDem]

114. Remember the gorilla in 1996 that cradled a hurt boy...

who fell into the gorilla exhibit?

In the summer of 1996 when a little boy fell into the gorilla exhibit, Binti carefully cradled the boy and brought him to the keeper’s door, where she left him so he could be rescued. Binti became world-famous, and she deserves her celebrity, since - like Jambo before her - she helped more people see just how gentle, intelligent and remarkable gorillas really are!


http://www.gorilla-haven.org/ghfamous.htm

Perhaps animals in the wild sense the vulnerability of children, even human children, and will protect and help them when they sense those children are threatened or hurt.

[despairing optimist]

115. Morticia and Gomez were decades ahead of their time

Here, Kitty!