For centuries, the Maasaï people have been threatened by lions who attack their animals and so as a rite of passage, members of this tribe have to kill a lion in order to prove their courage and honor. However, Kenya has banned the killing of lions, leaving the Maasaaï people and their animals at risk. To try and ensure their protection, local authorities have put veterinarians with tranquilizer guns into place to knock the big cats out when they come too close to causing harm.
Source: Getty Images
However, the delay between the lion and the veterinarian arriving means that these animals have plenty of time to do damage, meaning that the Maasaï people either have to put their animals out of their suffering themselves or kill the lions to protect their goods. A situation that is not ideal for either party.In 2015, an 11-year-old boy named Richard Turere decided that there needed to be a more long term solution for this problem. One day, as he was walking close to his animals, torch in hand, he noticed that the lions were afraid of the moving light.
Source: Paula Kahumbu
So, he headed home and with an old car battery, a blinker, and a solar panel, made his own home made flashlight. When he tried out his new gadget, it proved to be extremely effective and Richard decided to name his new invention the 'Lion Light.'This brilliant idea allowed the young man to receive a scholarship to one of the most prestigious schools in the country, as well as saving lions, whose numbers have been decreasing in recent years. Currently, there are estimated to be only around 16,500 to 30,000 of these animals left in the wild.
H/t: Nofi
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