The Lions of Tsavo: Exploring the Legacy of Africa's Notorious Man-Eaters

Bruce Patterson

McGraw Hill Professional, Jan 22, 2004 - Science - 231 pages

"Deftly written . . . Patterson's book must now be considered the definitive Tsavo lion study... one of the world's leading experts on lions as well as an important conservationist."--Publishers Weekly

Through field research and forensic evidence, a scientist reveals his theory on why two Kenyan lions killed humans and then ate their prey

In March 1898, the British began building a bridge over the Tsavo River in East Africa. In nine months, two male lions killed and ate nearly 135 workers, halting construction.

After a long hunt Colonel J. H. Patterson killed the lions, which are now on display at the Field Museum of Natural History in Chicago.

As codirector of the Tsavo Research Project, Bruce Patterson has conducted extensive fieldwork throughout the region on these lions. In The Lions of Tsavo, Patterson retells the harrowing story of those bloody nights in Kenya. He presents new forensic evidence on these maneless lions and argues that the man-eating behavior exhibited in 1898 came from the encroachment of human populations on wild habitats.

Patterson continues this theory by exploring man's interaction with the changing Kenyan environment, creating a complete, up-to-date, and scientific look behind this intriguing murder mystery.

What people are saying

Review: The Lions of Tsavo: Exploring the Legacy of Africa's Notorious Man-Eaters

User Review  - Cecily - Goodreads

If one publishes a book about your research, should it not contain some conclusions/results? This was a long, unsatisfying read that provide little answers and raised even more questions.

Review: The Lions of Tsavo: Exploring the Legacy of Africa's Notorious Man-Eaters

User Review  - Brian Doyle - Goodreads

Picked this up accidentally. I was looking for more of a historical account of the lions of Tsavo. Regardless, it was an interesting read that sought to shed light on the topic of man-eating lions in ...

Contents

• Foreword by Chap Kusimba: 1
• Maneating Lions Today: 39
• Why Do Lions Kill People?: 63

About the author

Bruce D. Patterson, PhD, is the MacArthur Curator of Mammals at the Field Museum of Natural History in Chicago, home to the lions killed by Colonel Patterson in 1898. He also teaches at the University of Chicago and the University of Illinois, is President of the American Society of Mammalogists, and a PI of Earthwatch Institute's "Lions of Tsavo" project.

Bibliographic information

• Title: The Lions of Tsavo: Exploring the Legacy of Africa's Notorious Man-Eaters
• Author: Bruce Patterson
• Edition: illustrated
• Publisher: McGraw Hill Professional, 2004
• ISBN: 0071363335, 9780071363334
• Length: 231 pages
• Subjects: History / Africa / East; History / Africa / General; Nature / Animals / Mammals; Nature / Environmental Conservation & Protection; Science / Life Sciences / Biology; Science / Life Sciences / Zoology / General; Science / Life Sciences / Zoology / Mammals