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WORLD NEWS Monday 30 January 2017

Fake leopard skins used in South Africa to save live cats

C. TORCHIA lives near a wildlife park, with Shembe leaders, some ally has got power in terms have been distributed for
Associated Press but acknowledged with a of whom were resistant to of the strength, in terms of free or a small levy, vendors
EBUHLENI, South Africa (AP) laugh: “I’m also scared of shaking up an old custom thinking, in terms of doing near the dance site were
— At least 1,200 men in them.” at the behest of outsiders. and being a leader.” selling real leopard skins
ceremonial attire danced One dancer, Madoda Zun- “It’s very important to Another man, Kholwali Nx- for about $370, as well as
at a mainly Zulu gathering the tails of monkeys, gen-
in South Africa on Sunday, ets and serval cats worn by
wearing a mix of hides of dancers, often around the
illegally hunted leopards waist. A few skins of chee-
and Chinese-made, spot- tahs, another imperiled
ted capes designed by species, were also on dis-
conservationists to reduce play. The imitation leopard
demand for the real thing. skins, besides being a free
The phalanxes of dancers or cheap alternative to the
with shields, headgear of real item, are more durable
ostrich feathers and other in the rain. The mock ver-
regalia on Sunday evoked sions generally look shinier
the proud traditions of one and neater than their real
of South Africa’s main eth- counterparts, which need
nic groups, as well as the to be replaced after about
piety of the participants, a decade.
whose Shembe religious Learning about fashion
movement blends Chris- was a challenge for Pan-
tian and indigenous beliefs. thera’s “Furs for Life” proj-
The event in Ebuhleni, north ect, which modeled imita-
of the coastal city of Dur- tions on a haul seized from
ban, also testified to an a poacher and used a
openness to change be- complex weave technol-
cause roughly half the men Members of the Shembe Church wearing leopard skins during their dance celebrations at eBuhle- ogy that wasn’t available
ni, near Durban, South Africa, Sunday, Jan 29, 2017. At least 1,200 men in ceremonial attire have
were wearing fake leopard danced at a mainly Zulu gathering wearing a mix of hides of illegally hunted leopards and Chi- in Africa. “We took those
skins rather than genuine nese-made, spotted capes designed by conservationists to reduce demand for the real thing. skins, we photographed
pelts, symbols of power (AP Photo/Khaya Ngwenya) them, we then digitized
because of the predator’s them into the pixels that
grace and lethality. In fact, gu, wore a real leopard skin know where we are com- umalo, said he had settled the machine needs and
leopards are vulnerable on but said he also had one ing from. This symbolizes for a fake fur, but still hoped then we sent that into the
a continent with a rapidly of the fake samples, first our tradition,” said Zungu, to buy a real one despite factories to try and make it
growing human popula- handed out in large num- a municipal councilor. The the expense. exactly as that original fur,”
tion, their numbers dimin- bers by Panthera in 2013 leopard, he said, “is one While the replica pelts, said Tristan Dickerson, the
ished by habitat loss, illegal after years of negotiations of the animals that actu- called “amambatha,” project manager. q
hunting for their skins and
other factors.
“It’s like abusing the ani- Ethiopia faces new drought, seeks urgent aid millions
mals if they’re hunted to
get the real skin,” said ELIAS MESERET really struggling to survive.” lage 70 kilometers (43 the government has had to
67-year-old Msoleni Man- Associated Press He cautioned, however, miles) away three weeks combat this new drought
qele, who collected a WARDER, Ethiopia (AP) — against “dramatizing by ago after all 50 of her fam- with little outside support,
manufactured copy of a The carcasses of goats saying this may degener- ily’s cattle perished. allocating than $47 million
leopard hide from a Sh- and sheep litter the ground ate into famine.” “I have nothing to eat, for the response. The char-
embe distribution office, near the airstrip in this re- Last year’s drought, exac- so I came here with my ity Save the Children warns
which had in turn received mote eastern region of erbated by the El Nino cli- 40-day-old baby. All of us that malnourished refugees
a batch of fake pelts from Ethiopia, which is struggling mate phenomenon that are hungry and are pray- are arriving from neighbor-
the Panthera conservation to counter a new drought affected seasonal rains, left ing for the rains to come ing Somalia as well, com-
group. The white-bearded that authorities say has left 10.2 million people hungry soon,” she said, cleaning pounding the crisis.
Manqele spoke in awe of 5.6 million people in urgent and killed several hundred her child’s face. For this “Children are being hit
the leopard, describing it need of assistance. thousand of the animals drought, Ethiopia’s gov- particularly hard,” the aid
as a “king of the jungle” U.N. humanitarian chief that the local pastoralists ernment is appealing for group said in a statement,
that fights with its claws, Stephen O’Brien visited a depend on for their liveli- $948 million from the inter- adding that a number of
teeth and hind legs. He local camp for displaced hood. Sarah Aliso came to national community. The disease outbreaks affect-
said he knows leopards persons on Saturday, say- the Garlogube displaced country’s disaster preven- ing livestock have been
“personally” because he ing that “these people are persons camp from a vil- tion chief, Mitiku Kassa, said reported.q