Lion Lights

People who depend on animals for food or livelihood must protect them from predators. In Kenya, a country in western Africa, the Maasai people raise cattle. The cows are in most danger at night, when people aren't guarding them and lions are out hunting. The Maasai people need a way to protect their cows without killing lions, which are an important part of the ecosystem in Kenya. Some people have lion-proof fences, but these can be hard to build with common materials and expensive to buy. Could a simpler solution protect both the cows and the lions?

Richard Turere, a Maasai teen, grew up watching over his dad's cattle and tinkering with electronics. He wondered how to keep lions away from his cows overnight. He tried scarecrows and small fires, but these strategies didn't work, so he brainstormed other solutions. Richard noticed that when he walked around with a flashlight at night, the lions stayed away. So, he used his electronics skills to copy, or simulate, what the lions had seen: a moving, blinking light. Richard connected several flashlight bulbs to a motorcycle's turn signal and powered them with a solar panel and an old car battery. With the flip of a switch, the Lion Lights turn on, and the cows are safe. No lions have attacked his family's cows since he installed this invention, and his neighbors have asked for sets of his Lion Lights as well.

Click the image below to see more about the Lion Lights:

What would YOU design to keep unwanted animals out of your home? Submit your ideas in the Design section.