Lion stuffed animals are for that kid (or adult) who likes big, wild cats. However, that is not to say that lion stuffed animals are not so loved by those who enjoy all kinds of squishy toys that represent many of the wild animals that roam the planet today.
For livestock owners living around the Waza National Park in Cameroon, having to live with the threat of lions is part of their daily reality. While the loss of human life is not something that is often reported in the region, the loss of livestock is all too real and costs herders up to $ 1,000 per family each year. These losses were investigated in 2007, along with why herders continued to graze their animals so close to lion hunting grounds, by scientists from the Resource Ecology Group, Wageningen University and the Institute of Environmental Sciences.
The team of scientists found that people who lived closer to Waza National Park had much better access to grass and water. At the same time, however, these were the herders who suffered the greatest livestock losses. For the herders, they felt that the benefits of better grazing and water for their animals far outweighed what it cost them due to the killing of lions.
The researchers also found that for those who owned livestock, the increase in loss of goats and sheep to lions was much greater likely because goats and sheep grazed alongside cows much further away from villages. Also, with more goats and sheep mixed in with the cows, the lions were able to get close to the cattle without being noticed. According to the herders, some lions even followed nomadic herds out of the park during the rainy season, while others were brave enough to also attack the remaining livestock in the villages they passed through. For the herders who tried to chase the lions away, they ended up with greater losses in their herds, probably because with all the confusion from the scattered animals, the lions were able to take advantage of the situation.
In one case, while investigators were interviewing some villagers, about 100 miles from where they were, three sheep and a calf were found to have lion bite marks on their necks, killed while the interviews were taking place. The shepherds indicated that while the lions took a sheep with them, they left the other animals behind, something they found to be all too familiar when it came to lions attacking their herds. Since the shepherds are Muslim, they cannot eat the leftover meat, as a Muslim must kill it in order to consume it.
In Cameroon, where lion attacks were taking place on domestic herds, because it was in an Islamic part of the country, dogs to tend livestock were not an option (dogs are considered dirty and unclean in the Muslim faith) However, the research team did. Recommend the installation of thorny enclosures (called bomas) or increase the number of herders to change general grazing methods.
Lion stuffed animals have no interest in killing [plush] sheep, goats or cows. In fact, they will all live in relative harmony in the same house if you so choose. To ensure that your lion stuffed animals never get out of hand, you must agree to form close and passionate bonds with these particular soft toys, which means they will expect you to snuggle into bed with them and take them with you. you wherever you go. Just remember to make sure your stuffed lion is treated like a member of the family and place it with as much love and attention as possible.
Copyright Shelley Vassall, 2010.
