Man-eater
Encyclopedia
Man-eater is a colloquial term for an animal that preys upon humans. This does not include scavenging. Although human beings can be attacked by many kinds of animals, man-eaters are those that have incorporated human flesh into their usual diet. Most reported cases of man-eaters have involved tigers, leopards, lions and crocodilians.
However, they are by no means the only predators that will attack humans if given the chance; a wide variety of species have also been known to take humans as prey, including bear
s, large constricting snakes (such as boas and pythons), Komodo dragon
s, wolves
, hyena
s, other big cats
, shark
s, and even other humans
.
The Sundarbans
are home to approximately 600 Royal Bengal Tigers that are well-known for the substantial number of people they kill; estimates range from 50-250 people per year. They are the only man-eating tigers left in the world, though they are not the only tigers who live close to humans. A theory promoted to explain this suggests that since tigers drink fresh water
, the salinity
of the area waters serve as a destabilizing factor in the diet and life of tigers of Sundarbans, keeping them in constant discomfort and making them extremely aggressive. Other theories include the sharing of their habitat with human beings and the consumption of human corpses during floods.
Man-eating lions are reportedly bolder and more aggressive than tigers, having been recorded to actively enter human villages at night to acquire prey. This greater assertiveness usually makes man-eating lions easier to dispatch than tigers. Lions typically become man-eaters for the same reasons as tigers: starvation, old age and illness, though as with tigers, some man-eaters, including the Tsavo lions, were reportedly in perfect health. The lion's proclivity for man-eating has been systematically examined. American and Tanzanian scientists report that man-eating behavior in rural areas of Tanzania increased greatly from 1990 to 2005. At least 563 villagers were attacked and many eaten over this period—a number far exceeding the more famed "Tsavo" incidents of a century earlier. The incidents occurred near Selous National Park
in Rufiji District
and in Lindi Province
near the Mozambican
border. While the expansion of villagers into bush country is one concern, the authors argue that conservation policy must mitigate the danger because, in this case, conservation contributes directly to human deaths. Cases in Lindi have been documented where lions seize humans from the center of substantial villages. It is estimated that 550-700 people are attacked by lions every year.
was noted to have stated that unlike tigers which usually became man-eaters because of infirmity, leopards more commonly did so after scavenging on human corpses; in the area that Corbett knew well, dead people are usually cremated completely, but when there is a bad disease epidemic
, the death rate outruns the supply of cremation pyre
wood and people burn the body a little and throw it over the edge of the burning ghat. In Asia, man-eating leopards usually attack at night, and have been reported to break down doors and thatched roofs in order to reach human prey. Attacks in Africa are reported less often, though there have been occasions where attacks occurred in daylight.
Contrasted to other carnivorous mammals known to attack humans for food, the frequency with which wolves have been recorded to kill people is rather low, indicating that though potentially dangerous, wolves are among the least threatening for their size and predatory potential. In the rare cases in which man-eating wolf attacks occur, the majority of victims are children. Habituation
is a known factor contributing to some man-eating wolf attacks which results from living close to human habitations, causing wolves to lose their fear of humans and consequently approach too closely, much like urban coyotes. Habituation can also happen when people intentionally encourage wolves to approach them, usually by offering them food, or unintentionally, when people do not sufficiently intimidate them. This is corroborated by accounts demonstrating that wolves in protected areas are more likely to show boldness
toward humans than ones in areas where they are actively hunted.
in Kamchatka. After the partially-eaten remains of two workers were discovered, authorities responded by sending out a team of snipers to hunt down the bears.
Though usually shy and cautious animals, Asian black bears are more aggressive toward humans than the brown bears of Eurasia. As a rule, brown bear
s seldom attack humans on sight, and usually avoid people. They are however unpredictable in temperament, and will attack if they are surprised or feel threatened. In some areas of India
and Burma, sloth bear
s are more feared than tigers, due to their unpredictable temperament.
, tiger shark
, bull shark
,, and the oceanic whitetip shark
. These sharks, being large, powerful predators, may sometimes attack and kill people; however, they have all been filmed in open water by unprotected divers. Most of the oceanic whitetip shark's attacks have not been recorded, unlike the other 3 species mentioned above.
and Nile Crocodile
s are responsible for more attacks and more deaths than any other wild predator that attacks humans for food. Each year, hundreds of deadly attacks are attributed to the Nile Crocodile within sub-Saharan Africa
. The fact that there are many relatively healthy populations of Nile Crocodiles in East Africa
and their proximity to people living in poverty and/or without infrastructure has made it likely that the Nile Crocodile is responsible for more attacks on humans than all other species combined.
of goonch catfish
eating humans in the Kali River in India
.
Fear of attacks on humans has inspired folklore, superstition, legends and tales characterizing large predatory animals capable of killing and eating humans (dogs usually excluded) as evil. The Jersey shore shark attacks inspired the use of sharks as symbols of evil, enemies in political cartoons, and caricatures of all kinds of negative events.
However, they are by no means the only predators that will attack humans if given the chance; a wide variety of species have also been known to take humans as prey, including bear
Bear
Bears are mammals of the family Ursidae. Bears are classified as caniforms, or doglike carnivorans, with the pinnipeds being their closest living relatives. Although there are only eight living species of bear, they are widespread, appearing in a wide variety of habitats throughout the Northern...
s, large constricting snakes (such as boas and pythons), Komodo dragon
Komodo dragon
The Komodo dragon , also known as the Komodo monitor, is a large species of lizard found in the Indonesian islands of Komodo, Rinca, Flores, Gili Motang and Gili Dasami. A member of the monitor lizard family , it is the largest living species of lizard, growing to a maximum length of in rare cases...
s, wolves
Gray Wolf
The gray wolf , also known as the wolf, is the largest extant wild member of the Canidae family...
, hyena
Hyena
Hyenas or Hyaenas are the animals of the family Hyaenidae of suborder feliforms of the Carnivora. It is the fourth smallest biological family in the Carnivora , and one of the smallest in the mammalia...
s, other big cats
Panthera
Panthera is a genus of the family Felidae , which contains four well-known living species: the tiger, the lion, the jaguar, and the leopard. The genus comprises about half of the Pantherinae subfamily, the big cats...
, shark
Shark
Sharks are a type of fish with a full cartilaginous skeleton and a highly streamlined body. The earliest known sharks date from more than 420 million years ago....
s, and even other humans
Cannibalism
Cannibalism is the act or practice of humans eating the flesh of other human beings. It is also called anthropophagy...
.
Big cats
Tigers
Tigers are recorded to have killed more people than any other big cat. Unlike leopards and lions, man-eating tigers rarely enter human habitations in order to acquire prey. The majority of victims are reportedly in the tiger's territory when the attack takes place. Plus, tiger attacks mostly occur during daylight hours, unlike those committed by leopards and lions.The Sundarbans
Sundarbans
The Sundarbans [Sundarban Tour Booking-9051115228] is the largest single block of tidal halophytic mangrove forest in the world.The name Sundarban can be literally translated as "beautiful jungle" or "beautiful forest" in the Bengali language...
are home to approximately 600 Royal Bengal Tigers that are well-known for the substantial number of people they kill; estimates range from 50-250 people per year. They are the only man-eating tigers left in the world, though they are not the only tigers who live close to humans. A theory promoted to explain this suggests that since tigers drink fresh water
Fresh Water
Fresh Water is the debut album by Australian rock and blues singer Alison McCallum, released in 1972. Rare for an Australian artist at the time, it came in a gatefold sleeve...
, the salinity
Salinity
Salinity is the saltiness or dissolved salt content of a body of water. It is a general term used to describe the levels of different salts such as sodium chloride, magnesium and calcium sulfates, and bicarbonates...
of the area waters serve as a destabilizing factor in the diet and life of tigers of Sundarbans, keeping them in constant discomfort and making them extremely aggressive. Other theories include the sharing of their habitat with human beings and the consumption of human corpses during floods.
- Tigers of ChowgarhTigers of ChowgarhThe Tigers of Chowgarh were a pair of man-eating Bengal tigers, consisting of an old tigress and her sub-adult cub, which for over a five year period killed a reported 64 people in eastern Kumaon over an area spanning...
- Tiger of MundachipallamTiger of MundachipallamThe Tiger of Mundachipallam was a male man-eating Bengal tiger which killed 7 people in the vicinity of the village of Pennagram, four miles from the Hogenakkal Falls.-First attacks:...
- Tiger of SegurTiger of SegurThe Tiger of Segur was a young man-eating male Bengal tiger. Though originating in the District of Malabar-Wynaad below the south-western face of the Blue Mountains, the tiger would later shift its hunting grounds to Gudalur and between Segur and Anaikutty...
- Tigress of ChampawatChampawat TigerThe Champawat Tiger was a female Bengal Tiger shot in 1907 by Jim Corbett. It was responsible for 436 documented deaths in Nepal and the Kumaon area of India mostly during the 19th century....
- Tigress of JowlagiriTigress of JowlagiriThe Tigress of Jowlagiri was a man-eating Bengal tigress responsible for the deaths of 15 people over an area extending Jowlagiri in the extreme north, to Gundalam 30 miles to the south; and from the borders of Mysore State to the west...
Lions
Selous Game Reserve
The Selous Game Reserve is one of the largest faunal reserves of the world, located in the south of Tanzania. It was named after Englishman Sir Frederick Selous, a famous big game hunter and early conservationist, who died at Beho Beho in this territory in 1917 while fighting against the Germans...
in Rufiji District
Rufiji River
The Rufiji River lies entirely within the African nation of Tanzania. The river is formed by the convergence of the Kilombero and Luwegu rivers. It is approximately 600 km long, with its source in southwestern Tanzania and its mouth on the Indian Ocean at a point between Mafia Island called Mafia...
and in Lindi Province
Lindi Region
Lindi is one of Tanzania's 26 administrative regions. The regional capital is also called Lindi.The Lindi region borders on Pwani, Morogoro, Ruvuma, and Mtwara. Much of the western part of the region is in the Selous Game Reserve....
near the Mozambican
Mozambique
Mozambique, officially the Republic of Mozambique , is a country in southeastern Africa bordered by the Indian Ocean to the east, Tanzania to the north, Malawi and Zambia to the northwest, Zimbabwe to the west and Swaziland and South Africa to the southwest...
border. While the expansion of villagers into bush country is one concern, the authors argue that conservation policy must mitigate the danger because, in this case, conservation contributes directly to human deaths. Cases in Lindi have been documented where lions seize humans from the center of substantial villages. It is estimated that 550-700 people are attacked by lions every year.
- Tsavo maneatersTsavo maneatersThe Tsavo Man-Eaters were a pair of notorious man-eating lions responsible for the deaths of a number of construction workers on the Kenya-Uganda Railway, from March through December 1898.-History:...
- Mfuwe maneater
Leopards
Jim CorbettJim Corbett (hunter)
Edward James "Jim" Corbett was a British hunter, conservationist, author and naturalist, famous for slaying a large number of man-eating tigers and leopards in India....
was noted to have stated that unlike tigers which usually became man-eaters because of infirmity, leopards more commonly did so after scavenging on human corpses; in the area that Corbett knew well, dead people are usually cremated completely, but when there is a bad disease epidemic
Epidemic
In epidemiology, an epidemic , occurs when new cases of a certain disease, in a given human population, and during a given period, substantially exceed what is expected based on recent experience...
, the death rate outruns the supply of cremation pyre
Pyre
A pyre , also known as a funeral pyre, is a structure, usually made of wood, for burning a body as part of a funeral rite...
wood and people burn the body a little and throw it over the edge of the burning ghat. In Asia, man-eating leopards usually attack at night, and have been reported to break down doors and thatched roofs in order to reach human prey. Attacks in Africa are reported less often, though there have been occasions where attacks occurred in daylight.
- Leopard of the Central ProvincesLeopard of the Central ProvincesThe Leopard of the Central Provinces, also known as the Devilish Cunning Panther, was a man-eating male Indian leopard which over the course of a couple of years, killed over 150 people, all women and children, in the Central Provinces in the early 20th century...
- Leopard of GummalapurLeopard of GummalapurThe Leopard of Gummalapur, also known as the Spotted Devil of Gummalapur, was a man-eating Indian leopard responsible for the deaths of 42 people in the villages of Gummalapur and Devarabetta in southern Karnataka over an area of . At sundown, the villagers would barricade their doors, daring to...
- Leopard of Panar
- Leopard of RudraprayagLeopard of RudraprayagThe Leopard of Rudraprayag was a male man-eating leopard, claimed to have killed over 125 people. It was eventually killed by famed big cat hunter and author Jim Corbett.The first victim of the leopard was from village Benji...
- Leopard of the Yellagiri HillsLeopard of the Yellagiri HillsThe Leopard of the Yellagiri Hills was a man eating Indian Leopard which claimed three victims in the vicinity of the Yellagiris, a crescent formation of hills east of the Jalarpet Junction railway on the Southern Railway...
Wolves
Habituation
Habituation can be defined as a process or as a procedure. As a process it is defined as a decrease in an elicited behavior resulting from the repeated presentation of an eliciting stimulus...
is a known factor contributing to some man-eating wolf attacks which results from living close to human habitations, causing wolves to lose their fear of humans and consequently approach too closely, much like urban coyotes. Habituation can also happen when people intentionally encourage wolves to approach them, usually by offering them food, or unintentionally, when people do not sufficiently intimidate them. This is corroborated by accounts demonstrating that wolves in protected areas are more likely to show boldness
Boldness
Boldness is an opposite of being shy. A bold person may be willing to risk shame or rejection in social situations, and willing to bend rules of etiquette or politeness. An excessively bold person could aggressively ask for money, or persistently push a person to fulfill some request, and so on...
toward humans than ones in areas where they are actively hunted.
- Beast of GévaudanBeast of GévaudanThe Beast of Gévaudan is a name given to man-eating wolf-like animals alleged to have terrorized the former province of Gévaudan , in the Margeride Mountains in south-central France from 1764 to 1767 over an area stretching . The beasts were consistently described by eyewitnesses as having...
- Kirov wolf attacksKirov wolf attacksThe Kirov wolf attacks were a series of man-eating wolf attacks on humans which occurred in 1944-1954 in nine raions of the 120,800 km2 Kirov Oblast of the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic which resulted in the deaths of 22 children between the ages 3-17. In all cases, the attacks...
- Wolf of AnsbachWolf of AnsbachThe Wolf of Ansbach was a man-eating wolf that attacked and killed an unknown number of people in the Principality of Ansbach in 1685, then a part of the Holy Roman Empire.-History:...
- Wolf of GysingeWolf of GysingeThe Wolf of Gysinge was a man-eating wolf which, in three months, attacked and killed many children in Gysinge near central Sweden in the early 1820s.-Attacks:...
- Wolf of SarlatWolf of SarlatThe Wolf of Sarlat attacked and wounded seventeen people in Sarlat, France, in June 1766. Unlike other wolves that had become man-eaters, it was notable in that it attacked only grown men, standing on its hind legs to get at the face and neck. A burgher of Saint-Julien, Monsieur Dubex de Descamps,...
- Wolf of SoissonsWolf of SoissonsThe Wolf of Soissons was a man-eating wolf which terrorized the commune of Soissons northeast of Paris over a period of two days in 1765, attacking eighteen people, four of whom died from their wounds....
- Wolves of AshtaWolves of AshtaThe wolves of Ashta were a pack of 6 man-eating Indian wolves which between the last quarter of 1985 to January 1986, killed 17 children in the Sehore district of Madhya Pradesh. The pack consisted of two adult males, one adult female, one subadult female and two cubs...
- Wolves of TurkuWolves of TurkuThe Wolves of Turku were a trio of man-eating wolves which between 1880–81, killed 22 children in Turku, Finland. The average ageof the victims of these wolves was 5.9 years. Their depredations caused such concern that the local and national government became involved, calling help from Russian and...
- Wolves of HazaribaghWolves of HazaribaghThe Wolves of Hazaribagh were a pack of five man-eating Indian wolves which between February and August 1981, killed 13 children aged from 4 to 10 years. Their hunting range was 2.7 square miles around the town of Hazaribagh in the eastern Indian district of Bihar...
- Wolves of ParisWolves of ParisThe Wolves of Paris were a man-eating wolf pack that entered Paris during the winter of 1450 through breaches in the city walls, killing forty people. A wolf named Courtaud, or "Bobtail", was the leader of the pack...
- Wolves of PérigordWolves of PérigordThe Wolves of Périgord were a pack of man-eating wolves that plagued the northwestern regions of Périgord, France, in February 1766. According to official records, the wolves killed eighteen people and wounded many others before they were eliminated....
Bears
While bears rarely attack humans, when attacks do occur they are often fatal due to the size and immense strength of bears. Truly man-eating bears are uncommon but are known to occur when the animals are diseased or natural prey is scarce, often leading bears to attack and eat anything they are able to kill. In July 2008, dozens of starving bears killed several armed Russian security guards working at a salmon hatcheryFish hatchery
A fish hatchery is a "place for artificial breeding, hatching and rearing through the early life stages of animals, finfish and shellfish in particular". Hatcheries produce larval and juvenile fish primarily to support the aquaculture industry where they are transferred to on-growing systems...
in Kamchatka. After the partially-eaten remains of two workers were discovered, authorities responded by sending out a team of snipers to hunt down the bears.
Though usually shy and cautious animals, Asian black bears are more aggressive toward humans than the brown bears of Eurasia. As a rule, brown bear
Brown Bear
The brown bear is a large bear distributed across much of northern Eurasia and North America. It can weigh from and its largest subspecies, the Kodiak Bear, rivals the polar bear as the largest member of the bear family and as the largest land-based predator.There are several recognized...
s seldom attack humans on sight, and usually avoid people. They are however unpredictable in temperament, and will attack if they are surprised or feel threatened. In some areas of India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
and Burma, sloth bear
Sloth Bear
The sloth bear , also known as the labiated bear, is a nocturnal insectivorous species of bear found wild within the Indian subcontinent. The sloth bear evolved from ancestral brown bears during the Pleistocene and shares features found in insect-eating mammals through convergent evolution...
s are more feared than tigers, due to their unpredictable temperament.
- Brown bear of SankebetsuSankebetsu brown bear incidentThe , also referred to as the or the was the worst bear attack in Japanese history, killing seven settlers in Rokusensawa, Sankebetsu, Tomamae, Rumoi, Hokkaidō, Japan....
- Sloth bear of MysoreSloth bear of MysoreThe Sloth bear of Mysore was an unusually aggressive Indian sloth bear responsible for the deaths of at least 12 people, and the mauling of two dozen others. It was killed by Kenneth Anderson, who described it in his memoirs Man-Eaters and Jungle Killers:...
Other man-eaters
Sharks
Contrary to popular belief, only a few sharks are dangerous to humans. Out of more than 360 shark species, only four have been involved in a significant number of fatal unprovoked attacks on humans: the great white sharkGreat white shark
The great white shark, scientific name Carcharodon carcharias, also known as the great white, white pointer, white shark, or white death, is a large lamniform shark found in coastal surface waters in all major oceans. It is known for its size, with the largest individuals known to have approached...
, tiger shark
Tiger shark
The tiger sharks, Galeocerdo cuvier, is a species of requiem shark and the only member of the genus Galeocerdo. Commonly known as sea tigers, tiger sharks are relatively large macropredators, capable of attaining a length of over . It is found in many tropical and temperate waters, and is...
, bull shark
Bull shark
The bull shark, Carcharhinus leucas, also known as Zambezi shark or unofficially known as Zambi in Africa and Nicaragua shark in Nicaragua, is a shark common worldwide in warm, shallow waters along coasts and in rivers...
,, and the oceanic whitetip shark
Oceanic whitetip shark
The oceanic whitetip shark, Carcharhinus longimanus, is a large pelagic shark inhabiting tropical and warm temperate seas. Its stocky body is most notable for its long, white-tipped, rounded fins....
. These sharks, being large, powerful predators, may sometimes attack and kill people; however, they have all been filmed in open water by unprotected divers. Most of the oceanic whitetip shark's attacks have not been recorded, unlike the other 3 species mentioned above.
- Shark attacks on the survivors of the USS Indianapolis (CA-35)
- Jersey Shore shark attacks of 1916Jersey Shore Shark Attacks of 1916The Jersey Shore shark attacks of 1916 were a series of shark attacks along the coast of New Jersey between July 1 and July 12, 1916, in which four people were killed and one injured. Since 1916, scholars have debated which shark species was responsible and the number of animals involved, with the...
Crocodiles
Crocodile attacks on people are common in places where crocodiles are native. The SaltwaterSaltwater Crocodile
The saltwater crocodile, also known as estuarine or Indo-Pacific crocodile, is the largest of all living reptiles...
and Nile Crocodile
Nile crocodile
The Nile crocodile or Common crocodile is an African crocodile which is common in Somalia, Ethiopia, Uganda, Kenya, Egypt, Tanzania, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Gabon, South Africa, Malawi, Sudan, Botswana, and Cameroon...
s are responsible for more attacks and more deaths than any other wild predator that attacks humans for food. Each year, hundreds of deadly attacks are attributed to the Nile Crocodile within sub-Saharan Africa
Sub-Saharan Africa
Sub-Saharan Africa as a geographical term refers to the area of the African continent which lies south of the Sahara. A political definition of Sub-Saharan Africa, instead, covers all African countries which are fully or partially located south of the Sahara...
. The fact that there are many relatively healthy populations of Nile Crocodiles in East Africa
East Africa
East Africa or Eastern Africa is the easterly region of the African continent, variably defined by geography or geopolitics. In the UN scheme of geographic regions, 19 territories constitute Eastern Africa:...
and their proximity to people living in poverty and/or without infrastructure has made it likely that the Nile Crocodile is responsible for more attacks on humans than all other species combined.
- GustaveGustave (crocodile)Gustave is a large male Nile crocodile living in Burundi. In 2004 he was estimated to be 60 years old, in length and to weigh around 1 ton, making him the largest confirmed crocodile ever seen in Africa. He is a notorious man-eater, who is rumoured to have claimed as many as 300 humans from the...
- Crocodiles of Ramree IslandBattle of Ramree IslandThe Battle of Ramree Island was fought for six weeks during January and February 1945, as part of the Indian XV Corps 1944/45 offensive on the Southern Front of the Burma Campaign during World War II....
Snakes
While only a very few species of snakes can swallow a human, the technicality regarding a snake swallowing its prey head first, prevents it from preying on adult human beings. Quite a few claims have been made about giant snakes swallowing adult humans, although convincing proof has been absent. Scientifically, such a situation seems to be very unlikely. However, big constrictors shall have no problems swallowing an infant or a small child, a threat that is legitimate and empirically proved. The only family of snakes that are able to eat an adult human being are constrictors (three pythons and one boa, all non-venomous):- Reticulated PythonReticulated PythonPython reticulatus, also known as the reticulated python is a species of python found in Southeast Asia. Adults can grow to over 8.7 m in length but normally grow to an average of 3-6 m . They are the world's longest snakes and longest reptile, but are not the most heavily built...
- Green AnacondaGreen AnacondaEunectes murinus is a non-venomous boa species found in South America. It is the heaviest known snake species...
- African Rock Python
- Burmese PythonBurmese PythonThe Burmese Python is the largest subspecies of the Indian Python and one of the 6 largest snakes in the world, native to a large variation of tropic and subtropic areas of Southern- and Southeast Asia. They are often found near water and are sometimes semi-aquatic, but can also be found in trees...
Catfish
There are reportsKali River goonch attacks
The Kali River goonch attacks were a series of fatal attacks on humans believed to be perpetrated by man-eating goonch catfish in three villages on the banks of the Kali River in India and Nepal, between 1998 and 2007...
of goonch catfish
Bagarius
Bagarius is a genus of catfishes of the family Sisoridae. It includes four extant species, B. bagarius, B. rutilus, B. suchus, and B. yarelli , and one extinct species, B. gigas.-Distribution:Bagarius species inhabit south and southeast Asia...
eating humans in the Kali River in India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
.
Perception
Attacks on human beings for food have caused the demonizing of the predatory animals in question. The fear caused by the prospect of an attack has encouraged the hunting of tigers, leopards and lions for sport and the extermination or driving out of predatory animals from territories close to human settlement; the harassment and hunting of such animals has been coupled with the destruction of their natural habitats.Fear of attacks on humans has inspired folklore, superstition, legends and tales characterizing large predatory animals capable of killing and eating humans (dogs usually excluded) as evil. The Jersey shore shark attacks inspired the use of sharks as symbols of evil, enemies in political cartoons, and caricatures of all kinds of negative events.
See also
- Dingo of Ayers RockAzaria Chamberlain disappearanceAzaria Chantel Loren Chamberlain was a nine-week-old Australian baby girl, who disappeared on the night of 17 August 1980 on a camping trip to Uluru with her family. Her body was never found. Her parents, Lindy and Michael Chamberlain, reported that she had been taken from their tent by a dingo...
- Kali river goonch attacksKali River goonch attacksThe Kali River goonch attacks were a series of fatal attacks on humans believed to be perpetrated by man-eating goonch catfish in three villages on the banks of the Kali River in India and Nepal, between 1998 and 2007...
- Malawi terror beastMalawi terror beastThe Malawi terror beast refers to an unidentified wild animal which killed at least three people and severely injured 16 others in the central Dowa district, some 100 km from Lilongwe, in 2003....
- Donner PartyDonner PartyThe Donner Party was a group of American pioneers who set out for California in a wagon train. Delayed by a series of mishaps, they spent the winter of 1846–47 snowbound in the Sierra Nevada...