Tsavo lion
Encyclopedia
Lion
The lion is one of the four big cats in the genus Panthera, and a member of the family Felidae. With some males exceeding 250 kg in weight, it is the second-largest living cat after the tiger...
living around the Tsavo River
Tsavo River
The Tsavo River runs east from the western end of the Tsavo National Park of Kenya, near the border of Tanzania, until it joins with the Athi River, forming the Galana River near the center of the park. This river is the main contributor to the watershed of the lower portion of the park region, and...
in the Tsavo National Park
Tsavo National Park
Tsavo National Park may refer to:* Tsavo East National Park, a national park in Kenya on the eastern side of the A109 road.* Tsavo West National Park, a national park in Kenya on the western side of the A109 road....
in Kenya
Kenya
Kenya , officially known as the Republic of Kenya, is a country in East Africa that lies on the equator, with the Indian Ocean to its south-east...
. Tsavo males are notable for their lack of mane and smooth pelt, their size, and that they actively participate in hunting. Tsavo males have been known as man-eaters
Tsavo maneaters
The 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:...
, particularly involving an incident during the building of the Uganda Railway
Uganda Railway
The Uganda Railway is a railway system and former railway company linking the interiors of Uganda and Kenya with the Indian Ocean at Mombasa in Kenya.-Origins:...
in the late 19th century.
Tsavo males and prides
Males of the Tsavo prides are usually larger than other male lions, and actively participate in hunting. It has been hypothesized that this is due to scarce food supply at the Tsavo East National ParkTsavo East National Park
Tsavo East National Park is one of the oldest and largest parks in Kenya at 11,747 square kilometres. Opened in April 1948, it is located near the village of Voi in the Taita-Taveta District of Coast Province. The park is divided into east and west sections by the A109 road and a railway...
, a region dominated by flat, dry plains.
Tsavo prides are unique in that they frequently have only a single male lion, whereas most lion prides have two to eight (usually related) males. Tsavo prides also tend to be larger overall, with an average of 7 to 8 adult females in each group.
Maneless males
The male lions generally do not have a mane, though coloration and thickness may vary. There are several theories as to why this is. One is that manelessness is an adaptation to the thorny vegetation of the Tsavo area in which a mane might hinder hunting. Another is that Tsavo males may have heightened levels of testosterone, which could explain both the Tsavo lion's manelessness and its reputation for aggression.Attack incidents
Two of these lions are known as the Tsavo maneatersTsavo maneaters
The 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:...
; they attacked workers on the Kenya-Uganda Railway in 1898. They killed more than 35 people in less than a year before being found and killed by Colonel John Patterson
John Henry Patterson (author)
Lieutenant-Colonel John Henry Patterson, DSO , known as J.H. Patterson, was an Anglo-Irish soldier, hunter, author and Zionist, best known for his book The Man-Eaters of Tsavo , which details his experiences while building a railway in Kenyain 1898-99...
.
In September 1991, Wayne Hosek was on a safari hunt in Zambia
Zambia
Zambia , officially the Republic of Zambia, is a landlocked country in Southern Africa. The neighbouring countries are the Democratic Republic of the Congo to the north, Tanzania to the north-east, Malawi to the east, Mozambique, Zimbabwe, Botswana and Namibia to the south, and Angola to the west....
, Africa, when he heard of village people attacked by a man-eating lion. Wayne Hosek was asked by the locals if he could help hunt down the man-eating lion that had been terrorizing the town of Mfuwe
Mfuwe
Mfuwe is the main settlement of South Luangwa National Park in the Eastern Province of Zambia, serving the tourism industry and wildlife conservation in the Luangwa Valley...
. Wayne agreed to take on the task. With some serious effort put forth, the lion was finally shot about two weeks later. The lion was a Tsavo, and it was the largest man-eating lion ever recorded. Like the Tsavo man-eaters, it too was a maneless male. In total, the man-eater of Mfuwe was responsible for the deaths of at least six people.
National Geographic
An article about lions of the Tsavo area appeared in the April 2002 issue of the National Geographic magazine. The article discusses some of the unique challenges to survival that Tsavo lions face. The controversial issue as to why some Tsavo lions lack manes is explored by Peyton West of the Lion Research Institute.See also
- LionLionThe lion is one of the four big cats in the genus Panthera, and a member of the family Felidae. With some males exceeding 250 kg in weight, it is the second-largest living cat after the tiger...
- The Man-eaters of TsavoThe Man-eaters of TsavoThe Man-eaters of Tsavo is a book written by John Henry Patterson in 1907 that recounts his experiences while overseeing the construction of a railroad bridge in what would become Kenya...
- Bwana DevilBwana DevilBwana Devil is a 1952 drama based on the true story of the Tsavo maneaters. It was written, directed, and produced by Arch Oboler, and is considered the first color, American 3-D feature. It started the 3-D boom in the U.S. film making industry from 1952 to 1954...
- The Ghost and the DarknessThe Ghost and the DarknessThe Ghost and the Darkness is a 1996 adventure film starring Michael Douglas and Val Kilmer set in Africa at the end of the 19th century.It was directed by Stephen Hopkins and the screenplay was written by William Goldman....
– 1996 film