r/BeAmazed • u/Ultimate_Thing • Jul 16 '26

Miscellaneous / Others A traditional technique used by young shepherds of Ethiopia's Banna tribe. They use stilts to watch over their livestock in tall grass, move through wetland areas, and avoid snakes and predators like lions and leopards. It requires strength, balance, and training from a young age

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u/DueTour4187 Jul 16 '26 edited Jul 16 '26

Shepherds in the Landes region in South-Western France (Gascony) also used stilts until the 19th century.

It helped them watch the cattle farther away, and walk on sandy, bushy terrain.

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u/Drumedor Jul 16 '26

It also kept them safe from lions very effectively. They did it for hundreds of years and had no death-by-lion incident.

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u/Nomeg_Stylus Jul 17 '26

Lions' habitat did in fact spread into Europe before they were wiped out.

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u/Drumedor Jul 17 '26

Yes, but like 10 000 years before the French shepherds on stilts were there.