Only a Creature With a Soul

Three Ethiopian lions came to the rescue of a 12-year-old girl who had been abducted and beaten by seven men trying to force her into marriage (whatever happened to getting on one knee with a ring?).
Wildlife experts say the girl's crying might have sounded like a mewing lion cub, prompting the lions to protect her instead of eat her. However, the lions—after guarding the girl for half a day——went back into the forest when rescuers arrived.
Interesting, isn't it? It seems hard to imagine that lions would surrender a girl to humans if they thought it was a cub. Not only that, they chased away human predators yet retreated to allow rescuers to bring aid to the girl . . . how did they know the difference between good people and bad?
Maybe lions just know assholes when they see 'em.