While the rest of the world may cower at the idea of being in a confined space with a lion or a leopard, a group of fearless women in the Gir forests of Gujarat is doing the seemingly impossible.
Meet this band of diler women who have, as reported by Huffington Post dedicated themselves to tirelessly tending to the health and well-being of the lions, leopards and their young ones that inhabit the Gir forest. They’ve rather aptly been nicknamed ‘The Lion Queens’ of India by Discovery Channel and we’d like to make it stick.
We speak of women who have participated in over 200 lion rescues, been lowered into a pit where lay a dangerous and injured leopard to look after it, been responsible for saving numerous lions and their cubs from poachers and against angry villagers whose homes have been attacked by the injured cats.
Even through the heavy demands of their personal lives – marriage and motherhood included, these women never compromised on their duties at the forest and to their lions.
The hours may be unbelievable and their monetary compensation may not even come close to enough, but the team of devoted and lion-hearted women has grown from a mere 8 in 2007 to 43 today. What drives ’em, you ask? I think it’s safe to say that the joy of keeping these beauties healthy and happy is its own reward.
Watch this clip from the film that they were featured in to get a glimpse into the den of The Lion Queens:
They are the perfect representation of a woman’s unwavering courage in the face of all danger and her infinite capacity for maternal love. We salute, you ladies.
