Lions guard abducted Ethiopian girl from evil men until rescuers arrive

A 12 year-old girl in Ethiopia was abducted and beaten by a group of men with plans to force marriage upon her.

Sadly, many girls must face this terrible fate, as over 70% of girls are forced into marriage in Ethiopia. Luckily, she had some unlikely guardian angels looking over her.

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Sgt. Wondimu Wedajo was at the scene of her rescue. "They stood guard until we found her and then they just left her like a gift and went back into the forest," Wondimu said. “If the lions had not come to her rescue, then it could have been much worse. Often these young girls are raped and severely beaten to force them to accept the marriage," he said. The abductors really didn't have a choice when they saw a bunch of lions surrounding her and ran for the hills. But the lions comforted her until help came."

Flickr / Philippe Rouzet

Wild life experts believe she may have been protected due to the sound of her cries. The whimpering of a young girl may have resembled the sound of a young cub.

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Flickr / Philippe Rouzet