Episode 778: The Man-Eaters of Tsavo | Forensic Files

Hey weirdos, I'm Ash. And I'm Elena. And this is a podcast called Morbid. >> Have you heard of it?
>> I've heard of it. >> You have cuz you're here. >> It's been my livelihood for a few years.
>> For a few years. A handful. >> A handful of years. >> Yeah. Actually, it's been a quite a few
years >> almost a decade. >> This is my longest job that I've had. >> Woah. >> I know. I mean, I was a youth when we
started this. I listened to her. First of all, if you just started listening to Morbid and you caught up like super
duper fast, thank you so much because in the early episodes, I sound like I don't
give a [ __ ] about anything. I sound I was just like, "Yeah. I was at work today and like blah blah
blah and then this happened." >> You loved that. >> Ew. >> No, it it worked. I I know. The people
stayed. It must have been for you at that point. >> If you stayed, probably not.
>> Let's face reality. >> I don't know what it was. It was our charm, I guess. >> If you stayed, you're a real one. You're
the realest one. I appreciate you. >> I always did, but now I sound like it. >> It like really really hits when we
listen to the older episodes how how much you how much you just like hung in there and
what we put you through. >> It is crazy that it will be like a decade in not that many years.
>> Yeah. That's nuts. >> It's crazy. >> I know. We'll have to like do something fun or something.
>> And it feels like we're finally in like a we're back to the the >> the early days.
>> fun part again. >> Yeah. Yeah. I agree with >> a we had a little middle part there.
>> We had a [ __ ] journey. >> You know. >> Which was a journey. You guys know. >> You know.
>> I lost years off my life, but I'm gaining them back right now. >> I'm learning how to regulate my nervous
system again. >> Yeah. >> Which is a really fun thing. >> I I was just saying like I wish that I
could do I've I've said this so many times, but now I can even tell you like even more why. I wish I could do my
wedding again because my cortisol faced at my wedding. >> I think you look phenomenal.
>> Thank you, I did. I looked gorgeous. >> Good for you. >> So [ __ ] y'all. >> Yeah.
>> But I still wish I could do it again because I think I would have even enjoyed it that much more, especially
the planning process because it was just >> Cuz there was a lot going on. >> There was so much going on.
>> Cuz there was like a mini disaster every day. >> family things going on, too.
>> Yeah. And then there was like work things >> Yep. >> that were literally constantly going on.
>> Yep. >> So that was a lot. >> I'm pretty sure the day of my wedding a podcast came out.
>> Yeah. Yeah. >> Yeah. >> Yeah. >> Cuz we weren't >> No time off. >> Cuz no no time off.
>> Yeah. >> Yep. >> Just reminiscing. >> No. >> No time off. No creativity No creative
control. >> Just nothing. >> Um yeah. >> But you know what? That's in the past. >> But now
>> we're doing things like playing Radio City >> [ __ ] Music Hall. >> Which you guys got to come. We still
have a a few tickets left. >> Yeah. We got tickets on sale. >> One time only. >> This is one time.
>> just got my tap shoes delivered the other day. >> And we're really brainstorming some
really cool ideas, and we have one in particular that we're hoping is going to happen and
I'm excited about it. >> Oh, yes. If that happens, that thing that I we can't say right now, I'll [ __ ]
my pants. >> Go go get your tickets. It's going to be fun. >> It's going to be [ __ ] lit.
>> to be themed. And it's going to be a real good time, and it's one time only, and we only have
some tickets left. So >> Remember >> to get them at Ticketmaster only. >> Yes, cuz those are the ones we said
yeah. >> We said yeah. Sounds good. It's going to be a lot of fun. I can't wait.
>> Jinx. >> You owe me a Coke. >> But you know what? You already bought me a Coke today.
>> Oh, yeah, I did. >> So you're it's retroactively paid back. >> it. >> All right, what's up, girl?
>> Um so oh >> More. >> Tomorrow also, uh stay tuned >> on bonus episode coming up.
>> For a fun [ __ ] bonus episode. One that I think you guys are going to be pretty excited about.
>> know what it's about or anything, but >> I think you guys >> Just leave that in.
>> That's it. So, stay tuned for that. >> That's an Easter egg. Everyone's like, "Bitch, have you Do you
know what an Easter egg is?" They're like, "That's an Easter dump." >> If you can dissect that Taylor Swift
level >> marketing >> little marketing genius over here. >> Check it. >> Uh, so listen to
Listen to that. Listen to it. >> out. >> Uh, and also go go take a peek at my social media because there's some fun
book stuff happening tomorrow. >> Ooh. >> So, go you know, set your alarm. Go go
>> For what time? >> out. I don't know. Tomorrow. >> Oh, okay. For 12:00 a.m. tonight. Got it.
I don't know. Set your alarm for tomorrow. >> Head on over >> tomorrow. >> to my to my Instagram page and I'll tell
you. >> All day only. >> Okay, all day only. So, get over there. Uh, so yeah, so that's all the
business-y I think we had to talk about. >> Yes, girl. >> So, what are we going to talk about
today? >> I don't know. What's your case? >> because it's my case. >> People are like, "What the [ __ ] are you
guys on?" You know what we're on? We had McDonald's today. >> and we took a walk.
>> Uh, we took a walk and it lit up different parts of our brain. >> At one point I just looked at everyone
and I said, "This has been a great day, guys." >> Yeah. >> So, >> It has been. >> here we are. Uh, now we're going to get
a little gnarly, though. >> Oh. Um, did you say something about lions? >> Yeah, I sure did. Lions. So, this is a
little different because we know when I talked to you guys about the shark attacks in Joysey,
>> You liked that. >> you guys were like, "That was pretty interesting." >> Yeah.
>> And then some people said, "More animal attacks, please." And I said, "Okay, okay." And then Dave said,
"Got it." He said, "What about this one?" >> Dave said, "Say less." >> He He did. So, we're going to talk about
the man-eaters of Tsavo today. >> What? >> That's right. You heard that right. >> I've never heard of that.
>> So, this one's wild. >> I bet. >> Uh this one's gruesome. Uh it does have trigger warning. There
are animal deaths in it. Um and I'm just going to say it right now that I wish the I don't wish any human being to get
hurt or mauled by an animal. But I do wish the animals just got to kind of go off and live their lives after this.
And just kind of go away, you know? >> Yeah. >> Uh that's just how I feel. Let's begin.
In the spring of 1898 >> Oh, [ __ ] We're going way back. >> Yeah, let's go back, you
>> I wasn't even there. >> Colonel James Patterson arrived in East Africa to take up a position leading the
construction staff on the Uganda Railway, which was a very big infrastructure project based in
Kilindini, Kenya. >> Okay. >> I hope I said that correct. I looked up many pronunciations.
As one of the main waterways between Europe, the Middle East, and Africa, this whole region had been steeped in
wars between competing interests trying to gain control. But by that point, it was the British who held majority
control and had set the project forth, like set it into motion. And they were really kind of largely relying on local
labor managed by British officials. >> Okay. >> So, after spending a week waiting on his
orders, Patterson finally received a letter that told him he was going to go travel about 150 mi inland to a region
called Tsavo, which is a combo word meaning place of slaughter. >> Don't go there, baby.
>> I said, "Whoa." >> Why would you name it that? >> Um because apparently there had been so
many wars and like battles and things that had happened on this land. So, he was going to go there to take command
of a crew that was going to build a large railroad bridge over the Tsavo River. Uh like much of Kenya at this time,
Tsavo was really dry. It was really arid. Uh there was rivers and streams cutting through various uh sections of
it. And in addition to the large population of Kenyans living in the area, it also was home to a very diverse
population of wildlife. >> Oh, I love that. >> Yeah, this was a bush >> elephants, giraffe, buffalo, hyena,
jackal, rhinoceroses. >> Rhinoceroses? >> Rhinoceroses, I think it might be. >> Rhinoceroses?
>> Is it rhinoceroses? I think it is rhinoceroses. >> You do? >> I don't know. >> Wow.
>> I'm going to look it up though. >> You should. >> Rhinoceroses. >> get smart. I like getting smarter. So,
let's do this. >> My brain is going to look it up. >> This plural. >> Rhinocero?
>> I did not spell plural. Um it's okay. The plural is either rhinoceroses or rhinoceroses.
>> I like rhinoceroses better. >> It kind of feels nice. >> It does. It's got a nice mouth feel.
That word. >> the tongue. You love elephants. >> Me, too. >> lay down my life for elephants.
>> I also love elephants. My youngest just got a stuffed elephant that she made.
>> And she named her >> And she named them Ewie. >> Yeah. >> And said, "Sometimes they're a boy,
sometimes they're a girl." And I said, "Okay, >> Non-binary king and queen?" >> Yeah, I said, "Iconic, Ewie."
Uh and it's not Ellie. >> Ewie. And that's not even due to any kind of speech impediment. That's just her
straight-up name. >> That's it. Their straight-up name. >> Don't get it twisted.
>> No. >> Uh so, yeah. So, there's that. So, while many of the species living in the region
did pose a threat to humans, there were definitely not a lot that were as fierce and as
dangerous as the maneless lion. >> Maneless lion, you say? >> So, this is a subspecies of big cat that
evolved without the large fluffy mane. >> So now they feel like they have something to make up for.
>> Well, here's the thing. They evolved without the large fluffy mane because it
allows them to better survive the heat of the desert. >> Oh. >> actually like >> That's interesting.
>> a leg up. >> Yeah, that's really cool, actually. >> it makes them less floofy looking cuz
like when I see a big old lion with a big old mane, I'm like, "Oh, got to touch it." And I know I can't.
I know I can't and I won't. >> How often are you running into lions? >> And when I see one at like a zoo or
something. >> day that I see a lion. >> Yeah, every time I just run into one. But if I know I got to see one on like
TV, I'm like, "Oh, touch that." Like I just want to pet it, you know? >> I love you.
>> You know? >> You know what I mean? >> Cuz it's that floofy mane. >> No, I get it. It just makes them look so
>> Those are the boys. The girls don't have that. >> Yeah, you just want to boop.
Boop, there's snoot. >> boop lions. >> You run into a lion, do not boop the snoot.
>> Unless you're familiar with that lion and like you have a bond. >> And and and and you've booped the snoot
before cuz I'm not here to tell you to boop any snoots. >> Never boop a snoot for the first time.
>> Yeah, get acquainted if you're not familiar with that lion. >> Uh but these are mainless, so they to me look a
little more villainous, to be quite honest. >> Okay. Without a mane, it's like you're
just a scary ass cat. >> like the ladies and the ladies actually are more fierce.
>> They're badass. >> I learned a lot about lions last time I went to Disney. >> I love that for you.
>> Thank you. Uh so establishing a path through the dense jungle to get to this area where they were going to do
construction was not an easy task. >> not supposed to go there, probably. >> We're really not. The jungle in Tsavo
was densely forested. It was overgrown. It was filled with like snarled plant life, which included a species of like a
this like species of plant that has like a variety of different species that are
covered in large hooked thorns and they're called wait-a-bit thorns. Wait a bit. Wait a bit. Wait a bit before you
come up on this area. >> Yeah, or it's like you're going to get stuck in these thorns and then you're
going to wait a bit to get out. >> Ooh. >> So, in that first week much of Patterson's time was spent getting to
know the area, just kind of familiarizing himself with the work, the crew, what was going to be happening.
>> Yeah. >> And this obviously wasn't like super manually intensive. This wasn't like the
labor that they were going to do. >> Yeah. >> It was still physically taxing and each
night Patterson looked forward to going to sleep in the tent and he was like, "This has been a long day."
>> I look forward to going to sleep in my bed every day without doing much. So. >> you got a tent, why not?
>> Never have I ever looked forward to sleeping in a tent. Never have I ever slept in a tent.
>> There you go. >> Uh but he would be exhausted, he said, every single night. But he wrote in a
journal. He kept a journal of everything. So, he wrote, "I little knew then what adventures awaited me in this
neighborhood. And if I had realized that at the time two savage brutes were prowling around seeking whom they might
devour, I hardly think I would have slept so peacefully in my rickety shelter." >> What prose.
>> Right? So, as soon as he'd arrived in the camp, Patterson began hearing stories of men
disappearing from camps in the area. >> Not what you want to hear upon settling.
>> Upon arriving. At first he was like, "Okay, whatever." Like maybe they're just like legends, you know? Like people
love to talk [ __ ] Like maybe they're just trying to get me scared. You know, we all love it." But after a few days it
became kind of impossible to ignore the increasingly credible tales. Um he said all the old caravan leaders had disliked
this camp for one reason or another. And it was a noted place for desertions. >> Ooh.
>> And in fact very few of the caravans seemed to make it through the area without losing one or two of their
porters. To the other men, the leaders of the caravan would usually provide a, you
know, some kind of like, whatever answer. Something about how the men had simply deserted them at in the night and
joined an easier route. That's why they're not here. But few of the remaining members of the caravan found
that to be reasonable at all. Cuz who's going to work hard for several weeks only to abandon their camp and their
belongings in the middle of the night? >> Fair. >> Like you're busting your ass for weeks
at a time just to like peace out and leave everything now. >> Yeah. >> So a few weeks into the construction
project, the crew had finally reached the west side of the Tsavo River. When Patterson first heard that one of his
crew had disappeared the night before. >> Uh-oh. >> Several others on the crew cited the
stories of the other men who'd gone missing and insisted the missing worker had been carried off in the night by a
lion. No, thank you. So Patterson said, "At the time I did not credit this story
and was more inclined to believe that the unfortunate man had been the victim of foul play at the hands of some of his
comrades." But nevertheless, workmen were a valuable resource, so Patterson immediately assembled a group of people
to go search for him. It didn't take long before his mind was changed. In speaking with the other men
who shared a tent with the missing man, Patterson found one worker who witnessed
the attack. >> Oh, [ __ ] >> "It was around midnight," this guy said, and he said, "When a a large maneless
lion poked its head through the flaps of the [ __ ] tent." >> Said, >> "Anybody in here?" And he quickly
scanned the interior of the tent, saw that there were definitely people in there, and grabbed the nearest worker.
His name was Ungan Singh. And he grabbed him by the throat. >> Oh. >> So Singh cried out "Koro!" which means
let go. And wrapped his arm around the lion's neck trying to get him to release him, but the lion's grip grip was too
tight and the other men in the tent just all they could do was watch in horror as
their literal friend and co-worker was dragged into the darkness screaming for his life.
>> My >> So Patterson and the other men in the search party grabbed their rifles and
went to investigate the area outside of Singh's tent. And they found large paw prints in the sand and deep gashes in
the earth, which showed them what direction that he was being dragged away. And he said, "We found it an easy matter
to follow the route taken by the lion, as he appeared to have stopped several times before beginning his meal."
>> Oh. >> The areas where the lion appeared to have paused were accompanied by pools of
blood, each larger than the last. >> Oh my god. >> Finally, less than a mile from the tent,
they found Singh's body. It was They said it was unimaginable horror. >> That's Yeah.
>> His body appeared to have been completely ripped apart, with the flesh torn from all but his head and feet.
Patterson wrote, "The ground all around was covered with blood and morsels of flesh and bones."
But Singh's head had been left intact. The eyes staring wide open with a startled, horrified look in them.
>> Oh my god. >> All around the body were paw prints similar to those found along the bloody
path that led from the tent to the body, but similar, but they weren't all the same. And as they looked at the prints,
it occurred to them that those were two distinct set of prints in the dirt, indicating that one lion definitely
pulled him from the tent, but he had been killed and eaten by at least two. >> Oh my.
>> Yeah. Patterson wrote, "I've witnessed many an accident with fatal consequences, but the sight of this
skeleton from which the flesh had been ravenously torn was one of the most gruesome spectacles imaginable."
>> Also, imagine you're standing there, like taking that all in. >> Sitting duck.
>> But that's the thing. Exactly. You're sitting there where that group of lions,
a pair of lions just had a meal. Where the [ __ ] are they now? >> Yeah. >> That's the thing. Like, are they not
sitting there watching? >> Oh, that's horrifying. >> Now, in his mind, Patterson began
thinking about all the stories he had heard about men going missing from caravans in the in the Tsavo region. And
he was like, "Oh [ __ ] is this the same group of lions that are responsible for
those attacks?" >> Mhm. >> And it seemed impossible because animal attacks didn't, you know, they happened
from time to time, but they were like still exceedingly rare. They still are. >> Um since most animals wanted nothing to
do with humans who were just encroaching on their territory at this point. Now, at the riverbank, the men gathered up
Singh's remains as fast as they could, and they buried them in the sandy ground. They piled stones on it because
kind of like a grave marker. >> Right. >> His head they placed in a burlap sack and brought back to camp in order to
provide an identification to the medical officer. >> Oh, wow. >> Yeah. The next day they returned to the
area heavily armed, but there was no sign of the lions that had killed Singh. But to their horror, as they searched
the area, they found a lot of evidence of other attacks. There were skulls and parts of skeletons littering the area.
>> What the [ __ ] >> He had definitely not been the first victim, and he was likely not going to
be the last. >> You guys got to get out of there. >> So that night the workmen were uneasy in
their tents. They were scared to sleep, and they were like, "They could just be lurking right
outside our tent, just waiting to pounce." >> Yeah. >> James Patterson, on the other hand, took
up a position in a near tree to the tent. >> I don't blame him. >> And it was near the tent that Singh was
taken out of. >> But you got to think of all the animals that can climb trees. >> Patterson is wild cuz he's like the lead
here. He's supposed to be like heading up this thing. He does take lead. Like he puts himself in positions to try to
protect his crew. So he's up in a tree, and he said if one of the lions returned that night, he was
going to defend the camp, and he was going to kill it. >> Okay. >> So several hours passed with no sight or
sound of lions anywhere near the camp. So he was beginning to think, okay, he's not going to come back tonight. When out
of nowhere, he heard, "A great uproar and frenzied cries coming from another camp about a half a mile away."
>> Uh-oh. >> The men at Patterson's camp knew they wouldn't be able to reach the camp in
time to be of any use, and even if they were able to get there, none of them were really confident that they could
fend off or fight off a man-eating lion. >> Yeah. >> The best they could do was find some
comfort in the fact that, at least for tonight, they weren't going to see the lion.
>> Like, what a shitty >> They're just like, I guess we can go to sleep. Like, >> Yeah.
>> So, the next morning, news reached his camp of the previous night's commotion,
and it was what he had thought. Another of his workers at the rail head camp had been ripped away from his tent
by a lion in the middle of the night. >> Oy. >> That evening, Patterson took up a new
position in a tree near the rail head camp and waited in the pouring rain for any sign of stalking lions.
>> Just like the night before, several hours passed, and he was soaked. He's like, freezing, soaked to the bone. He's
about to climb down from his position when he heard, "A heart-rending shriek," indicating that there had been another
attack. This time, at a camp about a half a mile from the rail head. >> Okay. >> What we're going to see is that the
lions are [ __ ] smart. >> Okay. >> It's like they know. Every time he moves to another one, they
move away. >> Interesting. >> other one that he was just not at. It's like really crazy.
>> It's like weird intelligence. >> Yeah. >> Now, when the construction project began, the workmen were assigned to one
of several camps scattered within an 8-mile stretch along the river. Lions are known to travel up to 12 miles a day
to find food. >> That meant any of the men in any of the camps along the Tsavo River could be
prey, and there was no way to know which camp the lions were going to hit. It was
like whack-a-mole. >> Yeah. So, I just actually Googled it and lions are considered the most
intelligent of big cats. >> That makes sense cuz this their intelligence in this situation, it's
like they were watching and like they would kind of just like adjust their plans.
>> This actually says they excel at cooperative hunting, complex problem-solving, and observational
learning. So, they were studying them. >> literally observing and watching and learning.
>> solve puzzles, remember solutions for months, and they they possess larger frontal cortex regions, which is crucial
for managing complex social bonds. >> That makes so much sense. >> very fascinating.
>> Because I always think like a lion pride is so inter- I always think like groups
of animals and how they function are >> I agree. >> really interesting. >> Yeah.
>> Like elephants are very intelligent, too, and they're very emotionally intelligent.
>> Elephants have straight-up funerals. >> Yes. And they like and their their communities are so interesting.
>> Yep. >> I could learn about that stuff for like ever. >> animals. >> so interesting and I don't think we give
them enough credit >> No, we don't cuz we're so self-centered. >> us they are, but better than us they are
in so many ways. >> Yep. >> So, at first Patterson spent night after night just cycling between the camps
with a rifle, taking up positions in makeshift hunting blinds, searching the landscape for any signs, just trying to
keep his his workers safe. And the men also successfully petitioned to consolidate the camps as best they could
just to try to keep them from being so spread out. >> Right. >> And they built a sort of barrier around
themselves, winding the plants with wait-a-bit thorns, and around the perimeter for extra protection.
>> that was smart. >> Unfortunately, >> smart. >> however sensible, these efforts really
didn't have a lot of effect on the two lions. They didn't give a [ __ ] >> Well, you have to think they probably I
mean, they've lived there forever, so they can adapt to those kinds of things. >> so And Patterson wrote, "They almost
appeared to have an extraordinary and uncanny faculty of finding out our plans beforehand, which is exactly what we
were just talking about. >> Now, in fact, whenever the men would put up an extra protection in one camp, or
which camp whichever camp Patterson chose to monitor, the lions seemed to instinctually know to stay away and
would instead choose to attack another camp. Knowing that they couldn't possibly
protect every camp equally every single night, Patterson began laying simple traps for the animals. Sometimes he
would use livestock as bait at the perimeter of the camp, hoping the animal would attract the lions. Other times he
would lace the corpses of animals with strychnine and other poisons. >> Brother.
>> Just hoping that they would eat it and die, essentially. And like you can see why
>> I know, I know. >> they're going to these lengths. Like men are dying and like they're obviously
What Like we'll see, they're getting very brazen. >> Yeah. >> But I want you to know that at the end
of this you're going to find out why they're being so brazen. And it might make you think a little differently
about it. >> Were they really hungry? >> They were really hungry. And obviously it's not okay that
>> No, it's not okay. >> I've said this in the shark attack thing. I think you guys understand
my vibe here. I don't think anybody who takes this as like "Alaina hates thinks humans should die by animal attacks and
that animals should live." No. >> Right. >> So just It's just a bummer. >> Yeah.
>> It's a bummer that they were encroaching. They were doing a job that they were
sent there to do. >> Right. >> But we are encroaching on animals' land and that these things happen when we
encroach on animals' land and it sucks, you know? So you can see he was just trying to
protect his men. The animals are just trying to eat. >> Yeah. >> So it's really just It's the circle of
life, you know? Uh but yeah, it was sad. Uh but none of these things caught caught
the lions and they didn't really prove effective. In fact, Patterson wrote "The beasts much preferred live men to dead
donkeys." >> Woah. >> Which I was duh. >> Well, I mean like when a donkey dies, it's like the
same thing when a human dies, decomposition starts to set in. So, they it probably tastes a little funky.
>> It's I'm sure it tastes different. >> I'm sure they prefer fresh food. >> Now, given the amount of time and energy
that James Patterson devoted to hunting these man-eating lions, you could easily forget that regardless
of nocturnal terrors, there was a construction project going on during the day. >> Mhm.
>> During the day, they work crews conducted backbreaking, exhausting manual labor
building a massive bridge across the river. The physical toll this work took on the body was
immense. Like, we can't even And in the heat >> And then think about the mental toll.
>> I'm sure, like supplies that they need to stay like as hydrated as they could
be, all this. You got to think about that, for sure. So, it's like then they're going to sleep at night, they
should be able to just plop down and pass out and let their body recover from what they've been going through.
>> They can't. And it's like and Patterson here is staying up in trees in the pouring rain all night trying to protect
his camp. >> And leading this project. >> And it's just the psychological strain
of having become prey for an animal at night. >> That's [ __ ] >> That's a lot. None of them felt equipped
to protect themselves, and then they're dealing with this fight or flight thing all night.
>> It's similar to like when there's a serial killer in your area. You know what I mean? Like
>> Your body needs time to rest and like recharge from your day. And if this is happening at night, it's like this is
bad. >> Yeah. >> So, the attempts to catch or kill the lions may have provided a sort of
psychological distraction, at least, from the sheer terror of being actively hunted at night.
>> But, feeling proactive didn't really do a lot to stave off the reality that it
was only a matter of time before they made their way into the camps every night.
>> Right. >> Night after night, the men listened helplessly as the terrified cries coming
from nearby camps went on and on and on as one or more of their co-workers were yanked out of bed and dragged away to
their death. >> Oh my god. >> We'll find out one of these lions ate upwards of 20 men.
>> Holy [ __ ] >> Yeah. So, it was it was night after night. >> 20 men? >> And sometimes the victim would get
lucky. Like one night in early April, a Greek contractor managed to avoid the horrible fate that his co-workers faced
when the lion grabbed the mattress he was lying on rather than him, and he was able to roll
off and escape before the lion realized that it was holding a mattress and not a
human. >> But, yeah. But, more often than not, the lions struck with unbelievable speed and
precision. They're just >> That's the other thing you have to think of. They're so [ __ ] fast.
>> Yeah. They're highly evolved predators. Like, this is what they do. So, it gives
the the victim and the other men in the tent have no second to react. They can't
do anything. >> Also, just imagine being the person like sleeping next to the the person that
gets dragged out of the tent. >> And you can't help them. You can't help them. >> Yeah.
I was that It was that close to being me. >> hearing them scream. >> How do you reconcile that?
>> Exactly. Now, according to Ronald Preston, who the engineer managing the team at railhead, by the end of April,
the lions had killed, quote, 16 Punjabi workmen and one Punjabi headman. >> Wow.
>> So, while the loss of life was obviously the primary issue in the camps, it wasn't the only challenge that was being
posed by the lions. For the most part, an animal will really only kind of expend as little energy and effort as
necessary to catch prey. >> Yeah. >> And this is pretty true for the Tsavo man-eaters, too.
>> Okay. >> If they could simply stick their heads in through a flap of a tent and grab a
man by the neck, that was simple for them. Like, they would do so and just be on their way.
Other times, however, it seemed like the circumstances were were like un- unfolding in a way that a simple attack,
like what would normally be a simple attack, would escalate into pure chaos, and they would not really run away. They
would like >> The lions. >> Yeah, they would stay the course until they got it. >> Okay.
>> Like one evening towards the end of April, one of the lions climbed high into a tree adjacent to a tent in which
14 workers were sleeping. And it leaped down onto the tent from above. >> No. >> Crawled into a tree and jumped on top of
the tent. >> Oh my god. >> Every night my 80-lb dog jumps on me in bed to lay on me, and it's the scariest
event in my life every time. And that's a that's a a little poop monster who's just there to snuggle me.
>> Brother, I'll do you one better. I have a 12-lb cat that scares the [ __ ] out of
me on the nightly. 12 lbs. How the [ __ ] much does a lion weigh? >> ass man-eating lion jumps on your
[ __ ] tent. Can you imagine the chaos that broke out in that tent? No, I'm good. Cuz now you can't see, you can't
move, you're being like restricted by tent fabric. Like you don't know where it is.
>> whole ass lion and 13 other people? >> I need you to guess what a typical male
lion generally weighs. Give me a little bit of a range. Between what and what? >> I'm trying to think. So my dogs are like
80 lbs each. >> Okay. >> So two of them are 160 lbs. >> Yeah. >> Between like 200
>> No. >> and 250 maybe? >> No. Average adult male lions generally weigh between 330
and 570 lb. >> And if it was a woman lion? >> I think they were they were boys. >> Were they boys? Well, just so you know,
women lions average 260 between 265 and 400 lb. >> Holy [ __ ] >> So like that might have just killed
somebody. >> Just purely off of landing on them. Yeah. >> Holy [ __ ] >> And just the fact that that lion first
of all, thinking of a lion climbing up a tree. I didn't know that they could climb trees by the
>> ever. Like you can't get away from it by climbing up a tree. Imagine climbing up
a tree and the and the lion's like >> Me, too. >> Yeah. I'll get I'll meet you up there.
Like I'd be like, oh [ __ ] >> Absolutely not. >> And then for a lion to look down and be
like Huh. I bet if I jumped on that, I could probably get them. >> Oh my god. >> [ __ ]
So it easily tore through the top of the tent and its claw caught one man in the
shoulder and knocked him to the ground. But in its attempt to make a hasty escape because things got a little
crazy. >> Okay. >> The lion grabbed a large bag of rice and thought it was a person at first lying
on the ground next to the man and made off with the large bag of rice. >> Have the rice.
>> Which also is bad cuz I'm like that's their food source. I know. >> The next day when the men searched the
area, they found the bag of rice a little less than a mile away and it was it was made of cloth. That's why it
tore, too. >> Yeah. >> And it was torn to shreds and the contents was just everywhere. Now, in
another failed yet still harrowing attack, an Indian trader was approaching one of the camps along with his donkey
late one evening when one of the lions sprung from the underbrush and knocked them both to the ground with like
incredible force. The donkey was badly wounded by the claws of the lion and the trader assumed the lion would make off
with the donkey rather than fight the stronger prey. Like they know. And the trader quickly found out he was
wrong though cuz the lion turned right to him and literally like in like like hunches
up like I'm going to attack. But when the lion began to move, his claws and forepaws were
in the the way he described this later was he said it was almost comical the way he was tangled in the donkey's
reins. So because the donkey had like a bunch of empty oil tins and other pieces of
metal like strung on his reins. So the lion was eventually able to rip the reins free from the donkey, but they
were still tangled around his front legs. >> Oh my god. >> And according to Patterson, the rattle
and clatter made by these as he dragged them after him gave him such a fright that he turned tail and bolted off into
the jungle to the intense relief of the trader. >> I mean that's great for the trader.
>> But like the poor >> And that lion was probably so embarrassed. >> He was probably like, "Fuck y'all. I was
going to I was going to eat you." >> You're an [ __ ] >> gosh. Like damn. >> So among the workers, a legend emerged
that these were not ordinary lions, but they were in fact um shaytans, which it means demons.
>> Oh, [ __ ] >> Others believed the lions were physical manifestations of the spirits of long
dead local tribal leaders who were angry with the British for invading and altering the region with their
construction work. >> Or maybe they're just lions that are upset that you're interrupting their
region. >> that possibility. >> that seems pretty simple. >> These were the So these beliefs came out
of like the behavior of the animals. >> Right. Which was >> definitely more aggressive and more
assertive than ordinary lions. >> Yeah. >> And the lengths that they would go to
attack and eat humans and how consistent they were, that was different because there was other prey available. So they
were like, "There's like wildebeests over there. That's like your favorite thing in the world. Why are you not
eating those and you're coming to us? >> so much bigger, too. >> That's the thing about it.
>> more. >> We are not lions like choice prey. >> No. >> Like if given us and like a wildebeest
or us and something else, they'll take the wildebeest. >> thing every time. >> Yeah.
>> So, by the summer, complaints about the attacks and the missing workers had finally reached such a fever pitch that
the British authorities had to address the fears of further attacks. In July, the company responsible for the project,
the British East Africa Company, offered a 200 rupee reward for And this is sad.
Quote, "The skin of any lion shown to the satisfaction of the managers to have been destroyed within 1 mile on either
side of the railway line and to a distance of 5 miles east and west of the River Tsavo."
>> It's one thing to kill an animal for your protection. >> Yeah. >> That, you know, you know how we feel.
>> Yeah. >> It's another thing to skin a [ __ ] lion. >> I'm sorry, but go [ __ ] yourself.
>> don't get it. >> You like Like this is the 1800s, so sure it was like >> [ __ ] was wild, but
>> upsetting. >> Now, in a region that frequently struggled with poverty as well, this
bounty on lions attracted a large number of hunters. Cuz again, they're like struggling just to feed themselves. Like
a 200 rupee reward is huge. Um and so like a ton of hunters and would-be hunters came to the area all
hoping to claim the reward. It was likely the dramatic increase in people and noise that actually ended up keeping
the Tsavo man-eaters, quote unquote, away for so many months. Uh cuz they did stay away for quite some time.
>> [ __ ] that. We know what y'all are up to. >> They're real smart. >> Right. >> Uh cuz these lions are clever. They
would know better than to return to an area where the sounds of rifles could be heard every few minutes. They're like,
"Yeah, I'm going to be >> I'm good. >> Think I'm all set with that." >> The presence of so many hunters and the
lions' failure to appear night after night allowed the workmen at least to relax for the first time since the
project began. But because of that, they let their guard down. And so when they did return, which they did, they were
not prepared. >> After nearly 6 months of relative peace, >> Wow. >> Yeah. The attacks began again in
Patterson's camps one night in early November. He wrote, "On this occasion, a number of
men had been sleeping outside their tents for the sake of coolness." >> let their guard down.
>> Yep. He said when the men heard one of the lions forcing its way into the boma,
which was the animal pen where they were sleeping, he said, "All the men leaped to their
feet and raised the alarm to alert the rest of the camp." Then they took up whatever weapons they could find to try
to protect themselves. This was like rocks, sticks, just hurling them in the direction of the lions, just trying to
protect themselves. Unfortunately, the noise and thrown objects had no effect on the lion. A few moments later,
the lion burst into the middle of the group of men and just grabbed one and dragged him off through the thorny fence
and into the darkness. >> Holy [ __ ] >> So the lion just like launched himself into the middle of a ton of men and just
grabbed the nearest one. >> That's not >> Yeah. Like damn. >> The entire camp listened with horror as
two lions devoured this man not more than 30 yards away from the camp. Now the return of the lions was
disheartening, obviously, cuz they really were hoping they would have peace. But it wasn't just the return
that shook up the men. It was now how [ __ ] bold they were. So in the past, one lion would sneak
silently into the camps, grab the unsuspecting prey, then drag the man nearly a mile away from camp before
killing and eating him. Now the lions were aggressively forcing their way into the camps,
like barreling through any protective measures, and attacking large groups of armed men, paying no attention to the
loud sounds and thrown objects. >> And not going as far. >> grabbing the prey, they barely would
wait until they were outside of camp before killing and eating him. >> They had to have been like legitimately
starving. >> Yeah. >> So the next morning Patterson discovered the remains of this man less than 50
yards outside the camp. Unlike the previous attacks, he refused to let the men bury the remains this time, hoping
the animal would return that night. Posted in his tree, he waited but that night but the only animal animal that
came around was a hyena. And the hyena sniffed the remains and then just ran off.
>> Oh. >> So the next morning he received word that the lions had attacked another camp
2 miles down the river. >> Okay. >> Like same night. >> Yeah. >> Night after night he sat in the trees
outside the camps along the river, listening as the men shouted their warnings from one camp to the next.
And the warning that you would often hear, and I'm going to try my best to say this correctly, was Kabar Dar Beiona
Shatana Ata, which is beware brothers, the devil is coming. >> Oh [ __ ] >> would be like yelling this to each
other. >> Oh, that's so chilling. >> But for at least one of the camps, the warnings always came way too late. And
one among them was inevitably dragged away in the middle of the night. So these lions are getting more and more
brazen by the day it seemed. And one evening one of them grabbed a man from the railway and actually brought him
closer to the camp rather than far away in order to eat him. >> What? >> Yeah. Uh Patterson wrote, I could plainly hear
them crunching the bones. >> Oh my god. >> And the sound of their dreadful purring
filled the air and rang in my ears for days afterwards. >> think of them purring.
>> Like that's so messed up. And the crunching bones. By mid-November the lions changed their
strategy yet again in another display of boldness. Until that point their hunting pattern
had been that one animal again would sneak into camp. The other would wait in the bush a distance away.
Now, they were entering together. So, now it wasn't just one bringing it out, it was both.
>> "We don't need a lookout." >> Sometimes now grabbing multiple victims cuz now each lion would grab one.
This new strategy didn't always work out very well for the animals or for the victims on that matter. On one night in
late November, the lions attacked one of the camps and dragged away two men into
the dark, each one. Um from inside the camp, the workmen could hear one of the men moaning in
pain just outside the camp. And when they finally mustered up the courage to go out and look for him, they found that
he was badly mauled, but he was stuck in the thorny underbrush a few dozen yards
away from camp. >> Oh. >> It looked like he had become stuck there and the lion wasn't able to drag him
through. So, they left him and just went to consume the other victim. The workmen were able to untangle him
from the bushes, but he died from his injuries that night. >> say the thought of getting mauled by a
lion and then left stuck in gigantic thorns. >> Yeah. >> Oh my god. >> Yeah. >> By the beginning of December, the
workmen on Patterson's crew had finally had enough. One afternoon when they returned to his camp, Patterson found
the entire construction crew standing there waiting for him. They said they had come from India to work and get
paid. And they said, "We did not come here to get attacked and eaten by lions." And they said, "We are not going
to work until these lions are gone." I mean, I did it. I can't blame them. This is terrifying.
>> Yeah, you I would just I'd be like, "We're not doing this." >> Well, many of them didn't even bother
with the ultimatum. They just waited for the next train to pass, hopped aboard, and said, "Bye."
>> That would be me. >> "Somewhere else is better than here. I'm leaving." >> To his credit, Patterson did take this
ultimatum very seriously, and in the weeks after this, all work on the railroad ceased while they focused on
lion-proofing the camps. So, he just stopped the work. He was like, "Well, figure We're going to figure this out."
So, Patterson's persistence over the previous year finally paid off in December.
On the morning of December 9th, he was leaving his camp when he saw one of the men running towards him frantically
shouting, "Simba! Simba!" which means lion. >> Yeah, I know. >> Uh so, he was saying, "Lion! Lion!" and
waving his arms above his head frantically. When he reached the camp, he told Patterson that the lions had attempted
to grab one of the workmen down by the river. And when he escaped, they killed the donkey instead and were currently
eating it. >> Okay. >> So, knowing he might not have a better opportunity, he grabbed his rifle and
followed this man back to the river. When they reached the banks of the river, he saw that one of the lions was
eating a donkey by the water. Unfortunately, as he approached quietly, one of his guides stepped on a branch
and caused it to snap. >> Uh like horror movie no-no. >> Literally. So, the noise alerted the
lion who looked up in their direction, growled, and then dragged the carcass of the donkey into deep underbrush.
>> Like just with like, "Fuck y'all." >> literally said, "Fuck y'all." That's exactly what I was going to say.
>> Like you know that um Homer Simpson gif where he just backs into the bushes? That's what that lion did. He's like,
"You saw nothing." No. So, of course, Patterson is ter- He's like, "I'm going to lose this animal and it's
right there. Like I could end this." Um so, he instructed the man to return to the camp, gather up the other men, and
all the cans, pots, and pans they could find. And he said, "This plan is to have
the men surround the area and simultaneously cause incredible noise that would send the animal running in
his direction." Which was pretty smart. Pretty smart and very brave. >> Yeah. >> So, Patterson crouched down behind a
large anthill not far from where they had seen the lion. And when all the men were in position, he gave the signal.
The signal. And he wrote, "Soon a tremendous noise was raised by the advancing line of men.
And to my great joy, out into the open path stepped a huge maneless lion. After tracking the animals for nearly a
year, and he was really only catching glimpses of them in the darkness at this point.
>> Right. >> He said seeing one of these in daylight was like >> un- incredible. Like it was terrifying.
>> Uh when the lion got within 15 yd, he emerged from his hiding place and took aim.
And his sudden appearance startled the lion, obviously, who dug in its claws and crouched back on its haunches, and
he was ready to leap at him. Uh Patterson pulled the trigger, but to his absolute horror,
he heard that dull thud a rifle makes when it misfires. >> Oh, no. >> Just He said, "I was so disconcerted at this
untoward accident that I forgot all about firing the left barrel, and with the intention of reloading, I lowered
the rifle from my shoulder." Thinking the animal would use the opportunity to attack Patterson, he was
surprised when it instead ran into the bush. So, he's like, "Fuck, I'm going to lose
this thing for good." So, he raised his rifle again and just pointed into the direction that it had run and just
blindly fired. And he said he heard an angry growl that said that he he did hit him.
But he said, "But when he went to check the area, the lion had escaped." But he's like, "I think I hit him."
Now, determined to end the terror, he went back to where the donkey lay in the brush by the river and took up a
position in one of the trees, hoping the lions would come back for that. Several hours later, after the sun went
down, he heard the sound of snapping twigs and realized one of them had come back. But
rather than go back to the carcass as Patterson thought he would, the lion sniffed the air for a few moments, then
emitted a low growl, and that was indicating that he sensed his presence. >> Yeah.
>> So, he literally sniffed him out in the air and was like, "I'mma [ __ ] you up."
So, to Patterson's surprise, the lion ignored the donkey carcass. >> Totally ignored it.
>> Available food. >> Right there, and instead began searching the area for him.
>> And they can climb trees. >> Uh-huh. And he said, "For about 2 hours, he horrified me by slowly creeping round
and round my crazy structure, gradually drawing closer." >> Oh my god. >> For hours, he sat silently in the
street, desperately trying not to make even a sound. >> Literally move a muscle.
>> His trance-like state was finally broken when sometime after midnight, he was
struck in the back of the head by something large. And at first, cuz he had kind of zoned out, cuz he was trying
to just like really zone, he thought the lion had come up and had actually found
him. But then he realized he had been struck by a large owl. >> I love owls. >> What the [ __ ] are the odds of that?
>> They're working together, baby. >> I'm like, mother nature is just like doing its damn thing.
>> Mother nature is like, "Get out of here." >> Like, what the [ __ ] So, a large owl
just [ __ ] >> Just beat him. >> in the head. The jolt caused him to look around frantically, and he realized the
lion was crouched down in the brush just a few yards away. He could see his yellow eyes staring directly at him.
>> Oh, [ __ ] >> Certain this was going to be his absolute last chance. He fired the
rifle. And he hit the lion directly in the chest. Patterson wrote he gave a most terrific
roar and leaped and sprang about in all directions. The lion had retreated into the brush
and was likely trying to escape. So, he did fire again in his direction, and finally a few moments later, he heard
the last of the lion's breaths, and it was over. >> men, but I'm going to actually cry right
now. >> really sad. I really [ __ ] hate it. It's really sad. >> That's the part that I don't like about
these stories, is that we always kill the animal for doing what animals do. >> I know.
>> Like, I know this is a very extreme >> Yeah. >> case, and again, I don't like that
>> all over here. People were killed, but I'm really [ __ ] sad right now. >> of sadness. So,
>> when Patterson finally got a good look at the lion, he was truly impressed. He
said it was nearly 10 ft long. >> Holy [ __ ] >> 4 ft high, larger than an average lion.
>> Yeah. >> And aside from the obvious scars from the thorn brushes, he was unblemished,
like a beautiful lion. And as Patterson had assumed, the first shot struck him in the heart, and one of
the subsequent shots had hit him in the thigh. >> Oh my god, you're actually going to make
me cry right now. >> When the news of the deaths reached the camp, several men arrived at the site,
and they brought the animal back to the camp. So, a few days later, Patterson set out
a trap for the second lion, tying three, and this is sad, three goats to a 250-lb
rail. >> What are you trying to do to me, bro? I love goats. >> hours later, the lion appeared and
grabbed one of the goats, and that gave Patterson a chance to fire. Unfortunately, when he fired, the shot
hit the lion in the shoulder, not the head. And the shot barely managed to slow him down, and he took off into the
brush. And he dragged all three goats and the rail with him. He said, "Fuck your [ __ ] I'm taking it all."
>> of it." >> Don't piss off a lion. >> So, the shot might not have done its job, but it did seem to drive him off,
and it wasn't seen again for more than a week. >> Okay. >> On the evening of December 26th,
the lion appeared again at one of the camps, and it managed to get through the thorny fencing and into the camp, where
it tore through several tents and destroyed much of the site, but it failed to attack any of the men.
>> Okay. >> Believing the injured animal might make a return to the same camp, he set up
Patterson set up a blind in one of the trees near the camp and waited. A few hours later, the lion appeared, and he
shot the animal, killing it instantly. Which is really sad. >> It is really sad.
>> In the years that followed the attacks, the legend of the Tsavo man-eaters continued to spread and grow. By the
time the story reached its peak popularity, it was said that the lions killed and devoured hundreds of men.
A worker on the railway wrote, "Hundreds of men fell victim to these savage creatures whose very jaws were steeped
in blood. Bones, flesh, skin, and blood, they devoured it all and left not a trace behind them."
>> Damn. >> In reality, attacks on humans by large predators are extremely rare.
>> Right. >> Because we are not part of any predator's diet. >> Uh-huh. >> And we
pose a massive threat to every other species. >> them. >> Um and Ross Barnett, a paleogeneticist
at the University of Copenhagen, said, "What strikes me about the Tsavo story is that it is almost incomprehensible to
a 21st century Western mindset. >> Yeah. >> The terror that the night must have brought is unimaginable."
>> really is. >> It really is. So, if humans are not part of a lion's diet, and we're actually
pretty hard to catch, like you have to go through a lot, why the [ __ ] did they
hunt and kill so many men? >> Was there some kind of shortage going on? So, like wildebeest?
>> It turns out, like most repeated large cat attacks on humans, the explanation
for these attacks were found in the animals' mouths. In a recent scientific study of the
Tsavo lions' skeletons, which by the way are on display at the Field Museum of Natural History
in Chicago. >> Tsavo, like S A V O? >> T S A V O. Zoologists discovered that both lions
had damaged teeth. >> Oh. >> Even without causing illness from infection, which was likely, broken and
damaged teeth can make it difficult or extremely painful for an animal to consume its regular diet.
>> Oh, wow. >> to something it can catch and eat. So, the theory, and this is also
interesting, the theory was supported by a DNA analysis of the lions' hair, which
found the animals had not consumed any wildebeest, which is its favorite prey, and had otherwise been eating slower,
softer animals. Um so, Riley Black from Smithsonian Magazine in 2017 wrote, "Humans were a
food of last resort, and the lions were primarily focused on the soft parts." >> Okay.
>> These were not devilish skeleton crunchers, but injured cats doing what they could to survive.
>> Oh, that makes it even sadder. >> Additional information, this is really This made me sad, cuz I was like
>> Oh, no. >> Additional information from the study revealed that these two lions were
likely brothers. >> I need you to shut up. >> Quote >> Shut the [ __ ] >> they had each other's DNA in their teeth
suggests that the lions were closely bonded and spent time grooming one another.
>> actually not built for this. I'm not built for this. I'm going to cry. >> died
It makes me so sad for that second one, cuz he was just without his brother. >> can't I can't do that. I can't do that.
>> Now, as for how many victims the lions took, according to zoologist Bruce Patterson, one lion ate 10 people and
the other 24. >> It's a lot of people. >> of people. As for John Henry Patterson,
his killing of the man-eating lions did make him a local hero and somewhat of a legend.
With the threat removed, the crews were able to go back to work, and the railroad bridge was completed in
February 1899. And when the project was finished, Patterson served tours of duty
in the Second Boer War and World War I among other conflicts. >> Oh, wow. >> He also found time to begin a writing
career, and he started with his account of the Tsavo man-eater attacks, followed
by several other adventure novels. >> Wow. >> like badass. Following his retirement
from the military, he focused really on writing, and he also traveled the world giving lectures about wildlife and big
game. >> Okay. >> On June 18th, 1949, James Patterson died of natural causes in Bel Air, California
at the age of 79. >> Wow, what a life. And that's he did protect his crew. >> He did.
>> So there's that. >> I know. I feel bad for the lions. I feel bad for obviously the men that had to go
through. It's the same thing as the shark attack. You feel bad for everybody involved.
>> It's the same thing. I just >> I know. >> Something in me like I can't hear about
animal death. Like I literally >> are innocent. >> They are. Exactly. >> the gnarly, you know, unless it's an
orca whale. I feel like orcas have straight-up >> But you know what? You know what? Did we like wrong them
though somehow? >> probably did. >> Like we probably made them that way. >> I'm not saying orca whales are like
wrong. I'm just saying they have >> homicidal. >> They have They have instincts that we are not that
they're not supposed to have. Like they have they plan and plot. >> No, they do. It's like I say the ocean's
not for us. >> No, it's not. >> And they're trying to they're trying to stand there.
>> I need to know I need some more [ __ ] terrifying ocean stories. >> Yeah, I like the ocean ones.
>> Because I love cats. >> I know. >> And like I love lions. >> Lions are just like big cats.
>> One of my kids loves lions. >> I know. She always has. >> her so mad. She'd be like, "Let them
go." >> I know. That one was That was a tough one for me. >> Yeah. >> I We got to space these out cuz God.
>> Yeah. >> Very interesting. >> It's very interesting though especially like the the issue with their teeth and
that's how they were going after. >> And the just the fact that these men were just yanked out
of tents in the middle of the night. It's like that's horrible. >> up. Like that I don't want to take away
Like I know I've been harping a lot on the animals, but that is incredibly [ __ ] up.
>> And again, they're sleeping like they they exhausted after an exhausting day of manual labor. It's like [ __ ] That
sounds like hell on earth. >> It's also good to remind yourself too that there weren't like a [ __ ] ton of
jobs back then. >> No, that's the other thing. They were desperate for work. >> Money for their families. The ones who
are leaving are the ones who literally can't handle it. Like that that must have broken down. You know how bad it
was for some of them to be like, "Fuck that. Anywhere else is better than this."
>> faced with the possibility of being eaten by a lion in the middle of the night.
>> That's rough. >> If you're willing to stick that out. That's pretty [ __ ] brutal. That's
Well, then you think of how many men did stick it out. >> Exactly. And with that being the
>> a billion degrees where they are in Africa and like that night they were just trying to sleep in a cool area cuz
it's like a billion degrees and you're sitting duck. >> [ __ ] Yeah. >> What a story. That was very fascinating.
>> I also didn't know about maneless lions. >> I didn't know about maneless lions.
That's interesting. >> They're beautiful. >> I was just looking at pictures. >> Oh, lions are gorgeous. When I say I
just want to go ah I just want to snuggle. >> I know, but they would but don't. >> Don't.
>> I'm not going to >> Don't do that. >> I won't. >> Remember when we went to Disney together
and we heard the lion roar on the um safari. >> gnarly. >> That was the craziest thing I ever
experienced. >> Lion roars are life-changing. Cuz they're just damn. Like when that
movie starts. >> Yeah. >> You know like those movies that >> Yeah, that movie. That one movie.
>> I don't know why I said that movie. What are those What What production is that?
>> Um it's the uh >> The [ __ ] >> I'm just looking at it in my head over here. >> I'm watching it in my head. What is the
production company that has the lion? >> Is it MGM? >> Is it MGM? I think it is MGM. I I can
see it in my head and I'm like >> you're exactly right. Yeah. Hi Karen in Georgia.
>> Yeah, it is MGM. >> Yeah, I thought so. >> Did you say hi Karen in Georgia? >> Yeah, cuz I said you're exactly right.
>> Oh, okay. I thought you were thinking MFM. >> Oh, no. >> like it's MGM. And I was like you're exactly right and
then I said hi Karen in Georgia. >> Hey. >> Um that was insane. >> Yeah, that was wow. I have a fun fact.
>> I love fun facts. >> It's kind of a morbid fact to be honest with you. mean, this is what this show
is. I got this from Cosmopolitan. Chainsaws were first invented >> this. >> I I had a feeling you might know this.
for childbirth. >> Yeah. >> They were developed in Scotland in the late 18th century to help aid and speed
up the process of symphysiotomy, which is widening the pubic cartilage and the removal of disease-laden bone
during childbirth. That's horrifying. >> What the [ __ ] >> You knew that? I had a Why did I know
you were going to know that? >> You thought You said that ahead of time, too. >> I did. I was like, "I probably know
this." >> You might know this. >> Yeah. >> That is a crazy ass fact. I want to know
a lot more about that, but like also nothing else about it at all. >> time. >> Yeah.
>> Chainsaws, man. >> What would you Can you imagine Like I've never given birth. You've done it twice.
>> Mhm. >> Like three times, technically, I guess. Uh what would you do if you were just
like laying there and they're like No, it's the sound of a chainsaw is >> terrifying.
>> Yeah, that's the end of every haunted house ever. >> it's like my least favorite part of the
haunted house. >> Oh my god, I hate it. >> of that coming anywhere near your situation, your downstairs mix-up.
>> Your That's going to become a downstairs mix-up at that point. >> to become a downstairs
>> catastrophe. >> catastrophe, period. A downstairs I'm trying to think of a >> downstairs ugh
>> I'm trying to think of a D word. >> A downstairs disaster. >> Yes, there you go.
>> And with that, we leave you. >> Look at that unhinged beginning, middle and end.
>> Lord. >> Well, we hope you keep listening. >> And we hope you keep it >> But not so weird they use a chainsaw
during childbirth because holy [ __ ] >> And don't boop a lion. >> Yeah. >> I know it's hard.
>> I I want to find a lion right now just to boop it. >> Lions are beautiful. >> Simba, Simba.
>> Simba, Simba. >> I love them. >> Mhm.

In the spring of 1898, the British government began a large-scale infrastructure project, building a bridge connecting Uganda to Kilindini Harbor in Kenya. The ambitious project involved building a large railroad bridge across the Tsavo River in the Coast Province of Kenya. Just days after the bridge project began, workmen on the construction crew began disappearing, their remains turning up mangled days later, if they turned up at all. In time, it was discovered that two male maneless lions in the region were stalking, killing, and eating the men working on the infrastructure project. For more than nine months, the construction in the Tsavo region was plagued by attacks, resulting in anywhere from thirty-five to more than one hundred men killed and eaten by the lions. Eventually, a massive hunt was undertaken and the two animals were ultimately killed, allowing the infrastructure project to be completed unimpeded. Despite being an exceedingly rare occurrence, the attacks at Tsavo became symbolic of the wildness of Africa and the power of the British Empire to tame the region through colonialism.

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References

Kuta, Sarah. 2024. Two Lions Went on a Man-Eating Spree in 1898. Now, DNA Evidence Reveals Their Diets. October 15. Accessed October 15, 2026. https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/two-lions-went-on-a-man-eating-spree-in-1898-now-dna-evidence-reveals-their-diets-180985269/.

Patterson, Bruce. 2004. The Lions of Tsavo: Exploring the Legacy of Africa's Notorious Man-eaters. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill.

Patterson, James. 2016. "The man-eaters of Tsavo." Sports Afield, January 1.

Patterson, John Henry. 1907. The Man Eaters of Tsavo. London, UK: Macmilan.

Raffaele, Paul. 2010.

Man-Eaters of Tsavo.

January. Accessed April 8, 2026. https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/man-eaters-of-tsavo-11614317/

Cowritten by Alaina Urquhart, Ash Kelley & Dave White (Since 10/2022) Produced & Edited by Mikie Sirois (Since 2023) Research by Dave White (Since 10/2022), Alaina Urquhart & Ash Kelley Listener Correspondence & Collaboration by Debra Lally Listener Tale Video Edited by Aidan McElman (Since 6/2025) Listener Tale Theme Music licensed from https://www.purple-planet.com Main Theme: Matti Paalanen — Trick or Treat — Provided by Jamendo Ad Music: Title: Artist: BlueJay Studio — Spooky Waltz — Provided by Jamendo

Brief Summary

Ash and Elena discuss the Tsavo man-eaters, recounting the gruesome lion attacks on a railway crew in 1898 Kenya.

Key points

Podcast Origins. Ash and Elena reflect on their journey with Morbid, which has been their livelihood for years.
The Man-Eaters of Tsavo. The hosts introduce a chilling tale of maneless lions that terrorized a construction crew in East Africa.
A Gruesome Discovery. Patterson discovers the horrifying remains of a missing worker, leading to a chilling realization.
The Haunting Presence of Lions. The men felt the constant threat of lions lurking outside their tents, heightening their fear.
The Unyielding Nature of the Lions. Despite efforts to protect themselves, the lions continued to attack, preferring live prey.
The Emergence of Legends. Workers began to believe the lions were demons, reflecting their fear and desperation.

Episode highlights

Episode quotes

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Tension

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