Tsavo lion

Tsavo lion

Tsavo lions (Panthera leo nubica) are a distinct variety of lion living around the Tsavo River in the Tsavo National Park in Kenya. Tsavo males are notable for their lack of mane and smooth pelt, their size, and that they actively participate in hunting. Tsavo males have been known as man-eaters, particularly involving an incident during the building of the Uganda Railway in the late 19th century.

Tsavo males and prides

Males of the Tsavo prides are usually larger than other male lions, and actively participate in hunting. It has been hypothesized that this is due to a lack of mane and the scarce food supply at the Tsavo East National Park, a region dominated by flat, dry plains.

Tsavo prides are unique in that they frequently have only a single male lion, whereas most lion prides have two to eight (usually related) males. Tsavo prides also tend to be larger overall, with an average of 7 to 8 adult females in each group.

Maneless males

The male lions generally do not have a mane, though colouration and thickness may vary. There are several theories as to why this is. One is that mane development is closely tied to climate because its presence significantly reduces heat loss. Another theory is that manelessness is an adaptation to the thorny vegetation of the Tsavo area in which a mane might hinder hunting. Tsavo males may have heightened levels of testosterone, which could explain both the Tsavo lion's manelessness and its reputation for aggression.

Attack incidents

The Tsavo Man-Eaters on display in the Field Museum of Natural History in Chicago, Illinois.

Two of these lions are known as the Tsavo man-eaters; they attacked workers on the Kenya-Uganda Railway in 1898. A study was conducted in 2009 regarding how many people the maneaters killed/ate. It was estimated that 35 people were eaten but the number of killed humans was not stated. It is apparent that they killed more than 35 people in less than a year before being found and killed by Colonel John Patterson.

In September 1991, Wayne Hosek was on a safari hunt in Zambia, Africa, when he heard of village people attacked by a man-eating lion. Wayne Hosek was asked by the locals if he could help hunt down the man-eating lion that had been terrorizing the town of Mfuwe. Hosek agreed to take on the task. With some serious effort put forth, the lion was finally shot about two weeks later. The lion was a Tsavo, and it was the largest man-eating lion ever recorded. Like the Tsavo man-eaters, it too was a maneless male. In total, the man-eater of Mfuwe was responsible for the deaths of at least six people.

National Geographic

An article about lions of the Tsavo area appeared in the April 2002 issue of the National Geographic magazine. The article discusses some of the unique challenges to survival that Tsavo lions face. The controversial issue as to why some Tsavo lions lack manes is explored by Peyton West of the Lion Research Institute.

See also

• The Man-eaters of Tsavo
• Bwana Devil
• The Ghost and the Darkness – 1996 film

References

• Caputo, Philip (2002). "Maneless in Tsavo". National Geographic: 40–53. Retrieved 23 February 2013. {{cite journal}}: Unknown parameter |month= ignored (help)
• West, Peyton M.; Packer, Craig (23 August 2002). "Sexual Selection, Temperature, and the Lion's Mane". Science. 297 (5585): 1339–1343. doi:10.1126/science.1073257. ISSN 0036-8075. Retrieved 23 February 2013.
• Kays, Roland W.; Patterson, Bruce D. (1 March 2002). "Mane variation in African lions and its social correlates". Canadian Journal of Zoology. 80 (3): 471–478. doi:10.1139/z02-024. ISSN 0008-4301. Retrieved 23 February 2013.
• Patterson, Bruce D. (2004). The Lions of Tsavo: Exploring the Legacy of Africa's Notorious Man-eaters. New York: McGraw-Hill. ISBN 0-07-136333-5. Retrieved 23 February 2013.