Lions save an Ethiopian girl from kidnappers

A girl reportedly guarded by lions

ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia: Three lions rescued a girl of 12 kidnapped by men who wanted to force her into marriage, chasing off her abductors and protecting her until she was rescued by Ethiopian police.

The men had held the girl for a week in the remote southwest, repeatedly beating her, before the lions chased them away.

“If the lions had not come 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.

Stuart Williams, a wildlife expert with the rural development ministry, said it was likely the girl had been saved because she was crying.

“A young girl whimpering could be mistaken for the mewing sound from a lion cub, which in turn could explain why [the lions] didn’t eat her,” he said.

The girl was “shocked and terrified” and had to be treated for the cuts from her beatings, Sgt Wondimu said.

He said police had caught four of the men but were still looking for three others.

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

Despite a crackdown in 2015, hunters kill the animals for their skins, which can fetch $1,000. Williams estimates that only 1,000 Ethiopian lions remain in the wild.

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