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{{Short description|Type of spotted big cat}} |
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{{fringe|date=June 2020}} |
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{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2024}} |
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The '''marozi''' is a name given to a type of spotted feline sighted in Kenya in the early 20th century. |
The '''marozi''' is a name given to a type of spotted feline similar to a [[lion]] but with leopard-like spots, which was sighted in Kenya in the early 20th century. Skins of hunted specimens fitting the description do exist, but have not been sufficient for biologists to come to any definite conclusion regarding the nature of the animal. Though various [[cryptozoological]] theories have been advanced, the general consensus<ref name="Simon 1962"/> is that the marozi is a colour morph of some known subspecies of lion, perhaps involving individuals that retained juvenile spots into adulthood.<ref name="Foran 1950"/><ref name="Guggisberg 1963">{{Cite book |last=Guggisberg |first=Charles Albert Walter |title=Simba, the Life of the Lion |publisher=[[Chilton Books]] |year=1963 |page=50}}</ref> |
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==Etymology== |
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Marozi, from Kikuyu language means "spotted lion" because of natural spots in their skin of the lion. |
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==Claims== |
==Claims== |
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[[File:Peau de Marozi.jpg| |
[[File:Peau de Marozi.jpg|right|thumb|Pelt of a cat alleged to be a marozi, killed by Michael Trent in 1931]] |
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Though there were local East African legends of spotted lions, the first sighting documented by |
Though there were local East African legends of spotted lions, the first sighting documented by Westerners was from Colonel [[Richard Meinertzhagen]] in 1903, who discussed seeing dark lions with [[Rosette (zoology)|rosette]]-like markings in the mountains of Kenya. Meinertzhagen had previously heard of the spotted lions, but may not have taken this very seriously.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |last=Hartwell |first=Sarah |title=Mutant Big Cats - Spotted Lions |url=http://messybeast.com/genetics/lions-spotted.htm |access-date=2023-07-30 |website=Messybeast}}</ref> |
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Another incident was in 1931, when a white farmer, Michael Trent, shot and killed two individuals, a male and a female, in the [[Aberdare Mountains|Aberdare mountains]] at an elevation of {{convert|10000|ft|m}}. The unusual spotted markings on what seemed to be smallish adult lions prompted interest from the [[Nairobi]] Game Department; they were from adult lions and yet had prominent spots that are typical only of cubs, and the male lion's mane was insignificant. The department lacked sufficient skeletal evidence to definitively prove the species or age.<ref name=":0" /> |
Another incident was in 1931, when a white farmer, Michael Trent, shot and killed two individuals, a male and a female, in the [[Aberdare Mountains|Aberdare mountains]] at an elevation of {{convert|10000|ft|m}}. The unusual spotted markings on what seemed to be smallish adult lions prompted interest from the [[Nairobi]] Game Department; they were from adult lions and yet had prominent spots that are typical only of cubs, and the male lion's mane was insignificant. The department lacked sufficient skeletal evidence to definitively prove the species or age.<ref name=":0" /> |
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Two years later, explorer [[Kenneth Gandar |
Two years later, explorer [[Kenneth Gandar Dower]] headed an expedition into the region in an attempt to capture or kill more specimens.<ref>{{Cite news |author=K. W. |date=1937-12-12 |title=But He Never Found a Spotted Lion |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1937/12/12/archives/but-he-never-found-a-spotted-lion-the-spotted-lion-by-kenneth.html |url-access=subscription |access-date=2023-12-16 |work=[[The New York Times]] |page=7}} Review of {{cite book |title=The Spotted Lion |author=[[Kenneth Gandar Dower]] |year=1937 |url=https://archive.org/details/dli.ministry.23073/page/n7/mode/2up}}</ref> He returned with only circumstantial evidence: three sets of tracks found at a similar elevation as Trent's lions ({{convert|10000|-|12500|ft|m|disp=or}}). They were believed to have been left by individuals that were tracking a herd of [[African buffalo|buffalo]] during a hunt, ruling out the possibility of the marozi's being cubs. Dower noted that while some adult lions did keep their rosettes, such lions did not have them to the same degree as the pelts.<ref name=":0" /><ref>{{Cite book |author=[[Kenneth Gandar Dower]] |url=https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=mdp.39015058545214&seq=1 |title=The Spotted Lion |publisher=[[William Heinemann Ltd.]] |year=1937 |via=[[HathiTrust|HathiTrust Digital Library]]}}</ref> |
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There were other sightings around the same time: |
There were other sightings around the same time: |
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* A pair sighted on the [[Kinangop Plateau]] by G. Hamilton-Snowball at an elevation of {{convert|11,500|ft|m}}. They were shot at, but escaped.<ref name=":0" /> |
* A pair sighted on the [[Kinangop Plateau]] by G. Hamilton-Snowball at an elevation of {{convert|11,500|ft|m}}. They were shot at, but escaped.<ref name=":0" /> |
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The presence of lions in an unusual habitat at a higher altitude than is typical for the species also suggested the possibility of a distinct population.<ref>{{Cite magazine |last=Smith |first=Duncan JD |date=June–July 2018 |title=Driven By Devils: The Remarkable Story of KC Gandar-Dower |url=https://www.duncanjdsmith.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/Old-Africa_Spotted-Lions.pdf |access-date=2024-01-11 |magazine=Old Africa |pages=8–12 |language=en |issue=77}}</ref> |
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==Skepticism== |
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| ⚫ | In 1950, [[The Field (magazine)|''The Field'']] published a discourse by [[W. Robert Foran]], who was skeptical of the existence of a new race or subspecies of lion. He favoured the hypothesis that a small group of [[Somali lion]]s (taxonomized at the time as ''Panthera leo somalica'') — including aberrant spotted individuals — had migrated into the Kenyan [[Aberdare Range]].<ref name="Foran 1950">{{Cite book |last=Foran |first=W. Robert |title=The Legendary Spotted Lion |publisher=[[The Field (magazine)|The Field]] |year=1950 |author-link=W. Robert Foran |page=535}}</ref> Author Noel Simon commented in 1962 that the consensus of opinion about sightings of marozi is that they are "plains lions which have retained their cub spots into adult life".<ref name="Simon 1962">{{Cite book|last=Simon |first=Noel |date=1962 |title=Between the Sunlight and the Thunder: The Wild Life of Kenya |publisher=Collins |pages=315}}</ref> |
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In 1963, zoologist Charles Albert Walter Guggisberg claimed that there is no reliable evidence for the marozi as a distinct variety of lion, saying, "...to this day nobody has been able to produce any proof of its existence. In East African lions the juvenile markings do not fade for quite a number of years, and I myself have seen two-year-old lions on the Athi Plains, showing just about the same rosettes as can be seen on the famous skins from the Aberdares."<ref name="Guggisberg 1963"/> |
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==See also== |
==See also== |
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*[[Leopon]] |
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*[[Panthera hybrid]] |
*[[Panthera hybrid]] |
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Latest revision as of 02:23, 28 July 2024
The marozi is a name given to a type of spotted feline similar to a lion but with leopard-like spots, which was sighted in Kenya in the early 20th century. Skins of hunted specimens fitting the description do exist, but have not been sufficient for biologists to come to any definite conclusion regarding the nature of the animal. Though various cryptozoological theories have been advanced, the general consensus[1] is that the marozi is a colour morph of some known subspecies of lion, perhaps involving individuals that retained juvenile spots into adulthood.[2][3]
Claims
[edit]
Though there were local East African legends of spotted lions, the first sighting documented by Westerners was from Colonel Richard Meinertzhagen in 1903, who discussed seeing dark lions with rosette-like markings in the mountains of Kenya. Meinertzhagen had previously heard of the spotted lions, but may not have taken this very seriously.[4]
Another incident was in 1931, when a white farmer, Michael Trent, shot and killed two individuals, a male and a female, in the Aberdare mountains at an elevation of 10,000 feet (3,000 m). The unusual spotted markings on what seemed to be smallish adult lions prompted interest from the Nairobi Game Department; they were from adult lions and yet had prominent spots that are typical only of cubs, and the male lion's mane was insignificant. The department lacked sufficient skeletal evidence to definitively prove the species or age.[4]
Two years later, explorer Kenneth Gandar Dower headed an expedition into the region in an attempt to capture or kill more specimens.[5] He returned with only circumstantial evidence: three sets of tracks found at a similar elevation as Trent's lions (10,000–12,500 feet or 3,000–3,800 metres). They were believed to have been left by individuals that were tracking a herd of buffalo during a hunt, ruling out the possibility of the marozi's being cubs. Dower noted that while some adult lions did keep their rosettes, such lions did not have them to the same degree as the pelts.[4][6]
There were other sightings around the same time:
- Four animals sighted by Game Warden Captain R. E. Dent in the Aberdare Mountain region at an elevation of 10,000 feet (3,000 m).[4]
- A pair sighted on the Kinangop Plateau by G. Hamilton-Snowball at an elevation of 11,500 feet (3,500 m). They were shot at, but escaped.[4]
The presence of lions in an unusual habitat at a higher altitude than is typical for the species also suggested the possibility of a distinct population.[7]
Skepticism
[edit]In 1950, The Field published a discourse by W. Robert Foran, who was skeptical of the existence of a new race or subspecies of lion. He favoured the hypothesis that a small group of Somali lions (taxonomized at the time as Panthera leo somalica) — including aberrant spotted individuals — had migrated into the Kenyan Aberdare Range.[2] Author Noel Simon commented in 1962 that the consensus of opinion about sightings of marozi is that they are "plains lions which have retained their cub spots into adult life".[1]
In 1963, zoologist Charles Albert Walter Guggisberg claimed that there is no reliable evidence for the marozi as a distinct variety of lion, saying, "...to this day nobody has been able to produce any proof of its existence. In East African lions the juvenile markings do not fade for quite a number of years, and I myself have seen two-year-old lions on the Athi Plains, showing just about the same rosettes as can be seen on the famous skins from the Aberdares."[3]
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ a b Simon, Noel (1962). Between the Sunlight and the Thunder: The Wild Life of Kenya. Collins. p. 315.
- ^ a b Foran, W. Robert (1950). The Legendary Spotted Lion. The Field. p. 535.
- ^ a b Guggisberg, Charles Albert Walter (1963). Simba, the Life of the Lion. Chilton Books. p. 50.
- ^ a b c d e Hartwell, Sarah. "Mutant Big Cats - Spotted Lions". Messybeast. Retrieved 30 July 2023.
- ^ K. W. (12 December 1937). "But He Never Found a Spotted Lion". The New York Times. p. 7. Retrieved 16 December 2023. Review of Kenneth Gandar Dower (1937). The Spotted Lion.
- ^ Kenneth Gandar Dower (1937). The Spotted Lion. William Heinemann Ltd. – via HathiTrust Digital Library.
- ^ Smith, Duncan JD (June–July 2018). "Driven By Devils: The Remarkable Story of KC Gandar-Dower" (PDF). Old Africa. No. 77. pp. 8–12. Retrieved 11 January 2024.