The farmers don't have to change their lives in any way, except eating more steak to attenuate their now-larger herds. Plus, the increased focus on non-lethal coexistence can help save lion populations, which have declined by 40% over the past two decades. A win-win all around … except for the cows that have only had their delicious demise slightly delayed.
Researchers must still test whether the method works if none of the cows are left unpainted. Maybe the unmarked cattle saved their brethren by inadvertently offering themselves as sacrificial big cat cannon fodder. Regardless, the results are promising, and the method is now being used in Argentina, India, and Kenya, among other places.
The most significant risk is that the feisty felines could wisen up. We know from viral videos that house cats have learned to use toilets, drink from the fridge, and break into seemingly secure automatic feeders. So imagine what a giant cat-brain is capable of. And how pissed off it'll be when it learns we've been tricking it.
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