(CNN) -- A growing religion in southern Africa is posing a threat to the survival of wild leopards.

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For the Nazareth Baptist Church, also known as the Shembe, leopardsare seen as a symbol of pride, beauty and wealth, while their skins are

viewed as essential attire for church elders who wear them around their necks during traditional ceremonies.

A mixture of Christianity and Zulu culture, the Shembe is one of the biggest traditional religious groups in South Africa with around 5 million members. There are fears from conservationists that as the church grows, Africa‘s leopards, already listed as “near threatened” by the International Union Conservation of Nature (IUCN), will be pushed towards extinction.

http://www.cnn.com/2012/09/16/world/africa/leopards-shembe-south-africa/index.html?iid=article_sidebar

 

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