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AROUND THE WORLD 2: Lions Rescue Girl From Captors

Three lions were found protecting a 12-year-old girl in Ethiopia who had been abducted by men trying to force her into marriage.

The girl, who was the youngest of four siblings, had been missing an entire week after being taken by seven men who wanted her to marry one of them against her wishes, according to police of the African country.

The girl was found on June 9, 2005, outside Bita Genet. Police suspect the lions chased off the kidnappers and protected the girl for at least half a day.

Police Sergeant Wondimu Wedajo told the Associated Press: “They stood guard until we found her and then they just left her like a gift and went back into the forest.”

A wildlife expert suggested that the lions had mistaken the girl as a cub in danger. Police caught four of the kidnappers but have yet to find the rest.

Ethiopia’s lions are famous for their long black manes and are the country’s national symbol. They are also used on the local currency. Despite recent attempts to curtail the problem, many hunters kill the animals for their skins. Approximately 1,000 Ethiopian lions remain in the wild, according to wildlife experts.

--Written by Leah Williams

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