THE CIVILISED LION

Greymouth Evening Star, 2 December 1929, Page 8

THE CIVILISED LION

— -niRJUBi- t TIMES HAVE The time has come when we mustrevise all our lion stories.. The latest news from Nairobi is conclusive. When civilisation first came to darkest Africa they used to make our flesh, creep with tales of lions stopping the trains and playing hide and seek- in the railway stations, states the London “Daily Telegraph.” But the.lions and civilisation understand each other better now. The other day a herd or covey of lions settled down on the high road near Nairobi. Was there a man dismayed ? On the contrary, the citizens of Nairobi made motoi parties to go and picnic with the lions. The lions, lye are assured, behaved, like Mr Chucks, in the most delicate manner in the world. They did no damage to anybody, not even the photographers. There was no coarse caveman stuff. They “playfully gambolled,” they “posed while the photographs were taken.” None of ouiyown Hons, not even a film star, could, have been more obliging. The interruption to this pleasant Sunday afternoon came from the natives. They are evidently an anachronism. ■ They are still in that primitive state which believes that lions were made to hunt. A party of them came along with spears. Your modern lion can stand much, but at spears he draws the line. The braves were surrounded by irate beasts, and there was almost a regrettable’ incident. But the ■ motorists saved the situation by starting their cars and soupding their horns. The lions, who perfectly -understood, the dangers of modern traffic removed themselves. It seems to us that once again the. pedestrian has to complain of inconsiderate treatment..