The Maneless Lions of Tsavo

Q: Which maneless lions attacked and killed an estimated 135 railroad workers in Tsavo, Kenya between March and December of 1988?

A: The Tsavo lions are well-known for their unexpected and gruesome attacks on humans during the building of the Kenya-Uganda Railway in 1988. After repeated attempts to trap and injure the lions, the railroad manager, Lt. Col. John Henry Patterson, finally killed the lions after shooting each of them five times.

Information gathered from the Ghosts of Tsavo: Stalking the Mystery Lions of East Africa by Philip Caputo.

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Submitted by Kasia Piasecka, Reference Assistant

September 23, 2009