'My invention that Made Peace with Lions' Richard Turere, TedTalk

Summary

A Kenyan teenager living near Nairobi National Park invented a device to protect his community's livestock from predatory wildlife. After unsuccessful attempts with fire and scarecrows, he discovered that lions were deterred by moving lights. Using a car battery, indicator box, and solar panel, he created a flashing light system that has successfully kept lions away. His invention has spread across Kenya, protecting farms from various predators. His efforts earned him a scholarship to Brookhouse International School, where he continues to develop electrical inventions.

Takeaways

• 🌳 The speaker lives in Kenya, near the Nairobi National Park, where wild animals roam freely.
• 🐂 Predators like lions often kill livestock, causing distress to the community.
• 👥 The community believes they descended from heaven with their animals and land, valuing them greatly.
• 🔥 The speaker's first attempt to solve the problem was using fire, but it was ineffective.
• 🪖 The second idea was to use a scarecrow, but lions quickly realized it was a trick.
• 💡 A lightbulb moment occurred when the speaker discovered lions were afraid of moving lights.
• 🔋 He invented a device using a car battery, indicator box, and switch to create flashing lights to scare lions.
• 🌞 The device is powered by a solar panel, making it sustainable and eco-friendly.
• 🏡 The invention has been successful, with no livestock losses since its implementation.
• 📚 His innovation earned him a scholarship to Brookhouse International School in Kenya.
• 🚀 The speaker aspires to become an aircraft engineering pilot and continues to work on electrical inventions.

Q & A

Where does the speaker live?

The speaker lives in Kenya, at the southern parts of Nairobi National Park.

What kind of animals migrate out of the Nairobi National Park?

Wild animals like zebras migrate out of the park freely.

What problem does the speaker's community face due to the migration of wild animals?

Predators like lions follow the migrating animals and kill the community's livestock.

What is the significance of livestock to the speaker's community?

The community values livestock highly as they believe they came from heaven with all their animals and land for grazing them.

What was the speaker's first attempt to solve the problem of predators killing livestock?

The speaker's first attempt was to use fire, thinking lions were scared of it.

Why did the speaker's first idea of using fire not work?

The fire did not help because it allowed the lions to see through the darkness better.

What was the second idea the speaker had to protect the livestock?

The second idea was to use a scarecrow to trick the lions.

Why did the scarecrow idea fail?

The lions realized the scarecrow was not moving and always in the same place, so they ignored it and continued killing the animals.

What did the speaker discover about lions that led to a successful solution?

The speaker discovered that lions were afraid of a moving light.

How did the speaker use his knowledge of electronics to create a solution?

The speaker used an old car battery, an indicator box from a motorcycle, and a switch from a broken flashlight to create a device that flashes lights to scare away lions.

What is the name of the device the speaker created?

The speaker calls his invention a 'transformer' because it makes the lights flash.

How many 'transformers' has the speaker set up around his community?

The speaker has set up seven 'transformers' around his community.

What other predators is the speaker's invention being used to scare away?

The invention is also being used to scare away other predators like hyenas, leopards, and elephants.

What recognition did the speaker receive for his invention?

The speaker received a scholarship to Brookhouse International School, one of the best schools in Kenya.

What is the speaker's next invention idea?

The speaker's next invention idea is to make an electric fence, despite having tried it before and being shocked.