Man-Eating Lions Come to the Rescue of a 12-Year-Old Kidnapped Ethiopian Girl

Aimee Herd / Jessica Miller reporting : Jun 21, 2005
AP, CNN

An amazing story out of Ethiopia tells of a 12-year-old girl who was kidnapped and beaten by men trying to force her into marriage, when three lions came to her aid, chasing off her attackers and guarding the young girl until police arrived.

According to the report by the AP, the girl's abductors held her for seven days, beating her repeatedly until, suddenly, three Ethiopian lions chased them away. The lions, normally known for attacking people, stood guard over the traumatized girl; then, when her family and the police found her, "they just left her like a gift and went back into the forest."

"If the lions had not come to her rescue, then it could have been much worse," explained Sgt. Wondimu Wedajo. "Often these young girls are raped and severely beaten to force them to accept the marriage. Everyone...thinks this is some kind of miracle, because normally the lions would attack people."

Wildlife expert Stuart Williams said, "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. Otherwise they probably would have done [so]."

The traumatized girl was treated for cuts from her beatings. She is the youngest of four brothers and sisters. Police had apprehended four of the girl's attackers, but were still looking for three others. Kidnapping and beating have been a part of the marriage custom in Ethiopia for some time, as the United Nations says nearly 70 percent of marriages are by abduction there.

Ethiopian lions are famous for their large black manes and are the symbol of the African nation, appearing on their local currency and depicted in statues. The breed's numbers haven fallen of late as hunters kill them for their skins, which can bring around one thousand dollars per hide.