How many people did the man-eating lions of Tsavo actually eat?

Not Exactly Rocket Science
By Ed Yong
Nov 2, 2009 10:00 PMJun 29, 2023 2:33 PM

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In 1898, railway workers in Tsavo, Kenya were terrorised by a pair of man-eating lions, who killed at least 28 people during a 10-month reign of terror. It ended in December when a British officer called Lt. Col. John H. Patterson killed both beasts.  The man-eaters’ notorious exploits have been immortalised in no less than three Hollywood films, including most recently The Ghost and the Darkness. But despite their fame, no one is quite sure how many people they killed. The Ugandan Railway Company said 28; Patterson claimed it was 135.

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