Posted on 04/06/2013 1:50:00 PM PDT by nickcarraway
A 12-year-old girl kidnapped by a group of seven men in the Ethiopian city of Bita Genet was found several days after her abduction, safe under the watchful eyes of three lions. Not only were the lions guarding her, they allegedly chased off her captors.
The girl was reportedly abducted by the seven men with the idea that she would be forced into marrying one of the them. According to the United Nations, about 70 percent of the marriages taking place in Ethiopia are the result of similar kidnappings. And nearly 100 percent of those abduction-marriages are not thwarted by kindly wildlife.
While it is certainly within reason to consider this a miracle, a wildlife official did point out that the lions — who guarded the girl for about a half day — may have heard her crying and mistaken her for a cub. Interesting theory, but don’t lions know the difference between a Person and a Furry Thing that Looks Just Like Them? Although who wants to complain? It’s such a great story.
It’s so great, in fact, that Twitter is going nuts about it today even though this event took place and was reported on in 2005. Possibly because there’s been so much rape in the news lately, and it’s nice to hear a story with a happy ending. Or maybe we just like stories where animals behave in the noble, humane way we wish people would.
Dr. Hugh Ross tells about the student who brought his adult lioness to the CalTech campus daily in the mid-’70s. The lion would lay at the feet of the professors during lectures and watch the students. Her favorite time was lunch, which she spent on the grassy quad with her owner. The campus preschool kids, twenty or so, would all climb all over the lioness and play with her—she just loved them. At the end of the day it was difficult to push her into the van for the trip home, because she so loved all her human interactions.
Re: the raccoons. Do you have dogs or cats, or am I just gullible or can’t see the sarc tag?
You didn’t share your sardines? We have four cats. Three of them feel entitled (those darned entitlements again) to examine and sample whatever we eat.
Oh it is true but the cats stay in at night. No dogs- who needs a dog when one has 3 furry bandit-faced assault weapons with teeth and claws?? Plus I saved 35 bucks on a dog license and $300 bucks on vet shots. My sis used to have a racoon that lived in her van and would attack anyone trying to break in. She has 6 racoons that live next to her house They go in and out using the doggie door to eat cat food in the kitchen and sometimes in her bedroom. Her cats don`t seem to mind.
I’m very happy for you and your sister! Sounds like an idyllic situation. Around here, we have possums which don’t seem to bring positive attributes to the situation. How do you attract raccoons?
Oh couple possums here but rarely. They usually are kinda shy and play dead.
Oh since years ago we have a family of racoons in the oak tree and we feed them from babies when the mother racoon brings them to the porch to train them. When they get hungry they ring a bell on the porch or knock on the door or window. They come when I call them to eat. Same thing for the squirrels, blue jays and other birds here too. Usually the female matriarch racoon is the boss and she selects the best food. When they sense someone or another animal approaching the house they stand up on their hind legs. If it is a fox, they will charge off the porch en masse to chase him away. But if a pack of coydogs or coyotes is around they hide up in the oak tree. Also, couple of skunks which I call by name to come; same thing and they never attack cos they know us since they are babies. But the racoons usually chase off the skunks off the porch; so the skunks have a different feeding area next to the porch.
I have no idea but if she’s still alive she’s 8 years older than when this happened.
Is that really worse than meeting on Match.com?
CC
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