Good Luck With That - Zulus Urged to Switch to Fake Fur

A leopard can't change its spots, but can South Africa's Zulus trade their traditional leopard-pelt adornments for a cheap knockoff? For the sake of protecting the country's dwindling population of the big cats, conservation biologist Tristan Dickerson hopes they can. Dickerson has created a fake version he says is as good as the real thing—only cheaper and machine-washable. He is close to finalizing a deal with the 5.6 million-strong Nazareth Baptist Church, which blends Christian and Zulu traditions, the Independent reports. "I have used digital photography and imaging to produce an exact synthetic replica of a leopard-skin stole with all the dots in the right place," says Dickerson, who leads the world's biggest study of leopards. But he faces an uphill battle, he says, as leaders including President Jacob Zuma encourage the tradition by wearing real furs...more