Lions developing a taste for humans

News in Science ^ | Jan 30 2003 | Danny Kingsley - ABC Science Online

[vannrox]

	Eating humans is a trait that can be learned (Pic: Melbourne Zoo)

Eating humans is learned behaviour passed down through generations of lions, suggests surprising new American research.

The study by Dr Julian Peterhans and Thomas Gnoske of The Field Museum in Chicago is published in the latest issue of the Journal of East African Natural History.

It originally began as an attempt to dispel a longstanding myth about a pair of lions in the museum's collection. Legend has it that in 1898, two lions killed 135 workers building a bridge near Tsavo, Kenya. The attack, over nine months, halted construction of a railroad between Lake Victoria and Mombasa.

The lions were hunted down and killed by Lieutenant Colonel John Patterson, an English engineer who went on to write a celebrated account of the incident in a book, The Man-Eaters of Tsavo. The Tsavo lions were eventually shipped to the museum.

The two U.S. researchers found that the myth was partially true - but they also uncovered evidence that lions and other big cats have repeatedly resorted to eating humans in certain conditions, often man-made, and that they appear to pass on this behaviour down to their offspring.

"Lions are a social species, capable of transmitting a behavioural tradition from one generation to the next," said Peterhans, also an associate professor of natural science at Roosevelt University.

The duo conducted a comprehensive review of scientific literature, game department records, unpublished journals and museum specimens. They also tracked down Patterson's diaries, and found that the lions probably killed only 28 railroad workers.

The death toll increased to 135 over the years as the story grew in the telling. A Hollywood film of the incident, The Ghost and the Darkness, only added to the legend.

Gnoske and Peterhans uncovered a history of man-eating by lions. The Tsavo lions were killing people in the area for several years before construction started, and probably began by eating victims of an earlier outbreak of famine and smallpox.

Tsavo was on the slave route in the 19th century, and more than 80,000 people were estimated to have died from sickness or injury annually along the route - providing a steady diet of easy human meat to hungry lions.

The study suggest that lions resort to man-eating due to a number of factors, including scarcity of their usual prey due to over-hunting by humans, and injuries like broken limbs that make hunting fast prey difficult for the lions.

Such behaviour appears to be passed on through generations, including tricks such as not attacking the same village twice in a row. The research uncovered reports of three generations of lions in Tanzania in the 1930s and 1940s whose man-eating lions persisted until all members of the pride were killed.

The study is still relevant in Africa today, where a pride of lions have killed nine people since December 2002, and continue to terrorise people in central Malawi, according to BBC reports. The region is currently in drought, forcing wildlife to travel further afield for food.

Danny Kingsley - ABC Science Online

More Info?

The mane thing about lions, News in Science 26 Aug 2002

Toothaches may have led to lion attacks, ABC News 22 Jun 2000

Extinct marsupial cats were real whoppers!, News in Science 6 Apr 1999

© ABC 2003 | privacy

[vannrox]

I found this very interesting.

[Timm]

but they also uncovered evidence that lions and other big cats have repeatedly resorted to eating humans in certain conditions, often man-made, and that they appear to pass on this behaviour down to their offspring.

Man, screw this author. Lions eat people and we have to suggest this is our fault, too?? Why doesn't he just come out and say it's Bush's fault?

[45Auto]

The lions were hunted down and killed by Lieutenant Colonel John Patterson

who used a bolt action Lee-Medford rifle chambered in .303 British.

[45Auto]

Man-eating Lions Shot in Kruger National Park

From Cat News number 27, Autumn 1997

Park rangers shot five lions in South Africa's Kruger National Park after a series of attacks on illegal immigrants from Mozambique, 11 of whom died in the nine months up to August.

Human remains were found in the stomachs of the lions, which were shot when a Mozambican was killed and eaten on 11 August at a waterhole.

The man was reported to be one of a group of 14 illegal immigrants who had been repatriated the day before. Five decided to return to South Africa that night, when they were attacked. The surviving four, who took refuge in a tree, were again sent back to Mozambique. Over 2,000 illegal immigrants have been repatriated this year.

Immigrants cross the park on foot and the Kruger unit of the National Defence Force arrested 13,479 between January 1993 and January 1997. It is believed that many more have been killed by lions than those recorded.

In the National Park magazine, Custos, senior researcher Ian Whyte, who recalled several dangerous personal encounters with lions, was quoted as saying that old, sick or injured lions, or ones that had been pushed out of a pride were the ones that usually became man-eaters.

"It is generally accepted that lions avoid man because they have a great respect for him. This fear disappears, however, after a lion has killed a human for the first time. Lions that are held in captivity and relocated in the wild are among the most dangerous animals in the world, purely because they have lost their fear for humans.

An official said visitors constantly disobeyed orders to stay in their cars. He recalled finding one visitor standing looking at a pride of lions at the other side of the road, without realising that a lioness was watching him intently from only five paces behind.

Cat News number 27, Autumn 1997

[45Auto]

Man-eating lions on the run in Malawi 06/01/2003 - 7:19:22 pm from the Irish Examiner

A group of lions that escaped from a game park have killed three people in central Malawi, police said today.

Police say the lions crawled through a break in the fence at the Kasungu National Park.

The first to be killed, a tobacco farm worker, was dragged into the bush by a lion and then devoured, said police spokesman Kelvin Maigwa.

A 40-year-old woman and 70-year-old man were also killed.

[45Auto]

I would say that human-lion interactions in the wild have always had a predictable outcome, unless the humans were carrying double rifles chambered in something like the .416 Rigby. The eco-nuts and green meanies would have us think that all human-wildlife interaction is as safe as cuddling a teddy bear. The lion is the king of land predators, and if one is so stupid as to wander around unarmed in lion country, then possibly the Darwin Award committee should be notified.

[Hatteras]

"Tsavo was on the slave route in the 19th century, and more than 80,000 people were estimated to have died from sickness or injury annually along the route - providing a steady diet of easy human meat to hungry lions."

I called Major Owens about this. He said he does remember lions were actually lining the road waiting for the slaves to drop and those that survived later faced the gauntlet of sharks while in transit to South Carolina where even after 250 years they are still only earning slave's wages with the State Highway Department. Oh, and the number was 8 million not 80,000.

[dfwgator]

It's one of those "circle of life" things.

[Oberon]

who used a bolt action Lee-Medford rifle chambered in .303 British.

The legendary Lee Speed Sporter, if I'm not mistaken. Would he have been using Mk. VII ball?

[OldCorps]

I think that Australian idiot who is always fooling around with crocodiles should thoroughly investigate this phenomena.

[45Auto]

The Journey of Lion Hunting - The Maasai

The lion hunting journey starts at early dawn before anyone in the community is awake. The warriors sleep in different Manyattas (homesteads) and meet at a nearby landmark, e.g. tree, hill, rock, etc., and head towards predetermined areas, where lions are likely to be found.

The reason warriors leave villages at early dawn is to avoid chances of encountering people opposed to the practice. A few minutes before the journey begins older warriors (Irmorijo) and their leaders must choose qualified warriors, those identified as mature and strong who are believed capable for the game of lion hunting. This group is known as fearless warriors (Irmeluaya) who are ready to die or live from the game of lion hunting.

Young warriors (Irbarnot) who are disqualified are sent back home for rest. This rejection often creates a dispute within the group, as not every young warrior will accept to return home. When this happens, the dominant group and the rejected young warriors often challenge one another using clubs and shields. Losers are always the young warriors. Despite this, they still believe that the challenge is worth a try.

The fight between young and older warriors could potentially pose a major conflict to the dominant group, as some of their members might stress favoritism towards individuals from the group of young warriors, usually a relative from their clan or family. This situation can push the decision making process into extremes. Nevertheless, if this happen, the battle is treated as part of the learning process. Group dynamics is treated by warriors as progress.

The young warriors, who are sent home, are urged by older warriors to keep the information of lion hunting confidential until their colleagues return from hunting. Young warriors are also forced by older warriors to give up their weapons. (Extra weapons are not necessary for lion hunting. Instead, it is just a way of insulting the young warriors.) This attitude is a form of training that they are riot being regarded as responsible, so that they would be motivated.

When the older warriors return from lion hunting with the lion, a one week celebration will take place throughout the section's land. The warrior who first speared the lion is embraced by women from various communities and receives a double-sided beaded shoulder strap (Imporro), which he must wear every time a major festival, such as milk ceremony, eunoto ceremony (senior warrior's graduation ceremony) takes place in the community.

The successful completion of lion hunting brings gratitude and excitement to the hunter's entire community, as it is deemed an accomplishment of individual bravery and skill. His community will honor the hunter (Ormurani lolowuaru) with much respect throughout his entire lifetime. His accomplishment will not only be heard in his community but also by the entire section. The hunter will also receive a nickname from his colleagues, e.g. Miseyieki, meaning that no one will ever mess with him. When warriors attend ceremonies in other settings, they praise their colleague and urge others to acknowledge the success of their member. The warrior's information is effectively delivered through songs and verbal stories.

Elders, Western Conservationist and Political Topocratís viewpoint on the Lion Hunting Practice

In recent years Maasai elders began to oppose the practice of lion hunting as a result of external pressure from topocrats (politicians and Western conservationists). Topocrats pressured the elders by telling them that; "if warriors refuse to stop lion hunting, they will be gathered and punished in the form of government judicial system", meaning government laws. (It is important to acknowledge that Kenya and Tanzania laws, of course, do not speak Maa language). As a result of threat from topocrats, the Maasai elders are no longer encouraging the warriors to hunt lions. Nowadays, they tell the warriors that "lion hunting is too risky both physically and politically- and warriors should stop the practice."

The Maasai warriors refute this discouragement by saying, "the elders have forgotten that the warriors adopted the practice of lion hunting from them and they in turn adopted from their fore generations"

From the topocrats viewpoint, "The game is rigid, primitive, it is environmentally destructive, and most importantly, the game of lion hunting is unproductive. The warriors must stop the practice." Of course the practice is unproductive because tax is not involved.

The Maasai warriors refute the topocrat viewpoint by saying, "Topocrats are forgetting that wildlife conservation cannot be done without the participation of the local people, including the warriors."

From warriorís viewpoint, elders and topocrat judgments are contrary to their beliefs. The warriors believe that "the game of lion hunting is very exciting/ thrilling, challenging, righteous and it is a traditional practice; warriors are capable of the practice."

Lion hunting is absolutely confidential and is done at random. Warriors exclude topocrat and elders in the decision making process for lion hunting, just as the outsiders excluded the warriors in the conservation planning process.

Generally speaking, isolating the Maasai warriors in the conservation planning process, would undoubtedly slow the task of preserving the ecosystem of national parks and reserves in the Maasai region.

[JeeperFreeper]

Big cats- little humans = easy meal. Been that way since forever. Look at it from the cats' point of view. What's the slowest most defenseless animal around- a Disney educated urbanite. Which would you rather hunt, a cape buffalo or a sandal wearing tofu eating Californian who's seen "Lion King" one too many times.

[45Auto]

Maasai lion hunting - the old way

[45Auto]

"Why howl the Lion & the Wolf? why do they roam abroad? Deluded by summers heat they sport in enormous love And cast their young out to the hungry wilds & sandy desarts

Why is the Sheep given to the knife? the Lamb plays in the Sun He starts! he hears the foot of Man! he says, Take thou my wool But spare my life, but he knows not that winter cometh fast."

William Blake, 'The Four Zoas'

[45Auto]

I came across a discussion at the web site Hunter.com concerning the rifles used in the movie, "The Ghost in the Darkness" that had some tidbits about the weapon Col Patterson used to kill the lions. Other than that, the text for his book, "THE MAN-EATERS OF TSAVO AND Other East African Adventures" is to be found online at

Patterson's Book

[merak]

If that ain't cool, there's no such thing as cool. Do you gotta be black to join the Masai?

[rintense]

Lions developing a taste for humans

Must be Mariucci's influence.

[Charlotte Corday]

Quite right. This would be a great opportunity for some PETA activists to really "serve Gaia". What's stopping them?

[TheBattman]

Major Owens? Huh?

So, whoever this "Major Owens" is knows the exact road being described in this story?

Still only earning "slave's wages"? OH... how many slaves were paid what the road crews there make? OH yea, none. If they don't like it- get another job.

Is it my imagination or is the point of Hatteras's post to inflame and race-bait?