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Lion Lights

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This is Richard Turere’s true story of growing up on a farm in Kenya. A Maasai boy, Richard attended school when he could but more often was needed to herd his family’s cattle. Richard’s challenge was to protect the cows from the lions who prowled the night and were a constant threat to cattle. Desperate ranchers often killed lions, even though lions are at the core of Kenya’s tourist trade and are protected. Richard noticed that lions stayed away when he was outside with a flashlight. At age 12, using salvaged electrical components, he surrounded the stockade with blinking lights, and the lions stayed away! His Lion Lights are now used on three continents to protect farm animals without harming predators.
Richard Turere is an undergraduate student at the African Leadership University, where he is studying Global Challenges with a focus on wildlife conservation. Richard shared his Lion Lights with the world at the TED Global Stage in California. He received a special commendation from Africa Leadership Awards for his critical role in protecting and creating awareness around the crisis facing lions in Kenya. He is recognized as Kenya’s youngest patent inventor and, in 2018, received the Anzisha prize award. In 2020 he became a National Geographic Young Explorer, and he was a finalist in the Future for Nature awards in 2021. Visit Richard at www.lion-lights.org.

Shelly Pollock taught remedial read- ing and math to children and adults in the US for twenty-five years. She hopes that Lion Lights, her debut picture book, will inspire children everywhere to real- ize that no matter how young they may be or how big their challenges, they can accomplish anything. Visit Shelly at www. ShellyPollock.com.

Sonia Maria Luce Possentini is an award-winning illustrator in Modena, Italy, and a professor of illustration at the International School of Comics in Reggio Emilia. She has illustrated thirteen children’s books, including Night Creatures (2021) and Hold on to Your Music (2021).
“A true tale bound to inspire all young would-be inventors.” - Booklist

“How could we protect lions and livestock? It was a conservation crisis. Expert solutions failed, but Richard came up with something that worked.” - Paula Kahumbu, executive director of the Kenya Land Conservation Trust and CEO of Wildlife Direct

“Lion Lights seem simple, but then again the best solutions always do. Since Richard invented his system, lions have never killed our livestock.” - Dr. Charles Musyoki, senior scientist, Kenya Wildlife Service

“Richard’s system has been a huge success. People all over Kenya have begun copying it.” - Lucy Waruingi, African Conservation Centre