Man-Eating Lions of Tsavo

Have you heard about the man-eating Lions of Tsavo? These two male lions in Kenya terrorized railway workers in the late 19th century. In the movie Ghost and the Darkness starring Val Kilmer, they attacked and killed dozens of people during the construction of the Kenya-Uganda Railway. The lion pair was said to have killed 135 people. Colonel John H. Patterson successfully hunted and killed the lions and their bodies were preserved. FUN FACT: Not all male lions have long manes like the Lion King, the male lions in Tsavo are maneless. You can now find The Tsavo Lions at the the Field Museum in Chicago, IL.

[kimberlyplatt]

The scary part is these don't even look like they were fully grown.

[LethalDose]

The Tsavo Twins. Those two were something special. Calculated, strong, determined. They knew their opponents moves well before they acted, and were more resiliant and death defying than most known maneaters. With the first lion getting shot at from point blank, with every shot missing and one setting it free, and the second being shot 8 times and surviving. I am certain that 9th shot was only lethal because it was to the head. They have my respect and fear.

[zacharyjoy]

“Even now, if you dare to lock eyes with them, you will be afraid.” —Samuel

[mattparker]

I painted the thorn bushes you see behind the lions when I worked for the Field museum back in 1996. The exhibit was spruced up in anticipation of the movie coming out. The lions were too fragile to be moved, so I had climb in a hole in the back of the case to paint the 2D branches and install the 3D branches. I took the 3D branches seen in the exhibit from trees right in grant park. I had to epoxy toothpicks to the branches and them to simulate the long spiky thorns seen on the real African bushes.

[nodeloliver]

They were both 600 pounds to begin with, fast, calculated, and absolutely ruthless. Because of how hide shrinks over time, they're nowhere near as big as they once were.

[josephkunath]

Ghost and the darkness was an amazing movie.

[vega]

Oddly, I just watched The Ghost and the Darkness on YT Premium yesterday. Great movie.

[mchawk]

I always thought that only female lions didnt have manes.

[jacobcox]

I went to the field museum for my 21st birthday and got to see the Tsavo man-eaters. I learned so much about them beforehand from a documentary, I knew almost everything about them. I think I either impressed or annoyed the museum guide working there when I exposited a dump truck's worth of info on him.

[mattmcdewell]

this is true ive been to this museum and seen these 2 lions

[Hajde_budalla]

Its over a hundred years that they’ve been dead, and now they look like the sweetest, most darling lions ever.

[nannerz]

I grew up in Chicago and saw these at the Field museum all the time but I never really knew the story about it until recently but it is pretty haunting but also very impressive how all these taxidermied animals are

[RK-hwtg]

The lions were rugs in Col. Pattersons home for 25 years until sold to museum.

[unambiguouslybronze]

I remember seeing these two when visiting the Field Museum back in 07❤

[thedaveiknow.]

Why are they in Chicago amd Not Nairobi? 🇰🇪 😢

[joshuajones]

Don’t for a second, think that they were or are the only 2. Just don’t wander up any hollers alone at night in wv

[LittleBill_Sr]

The lion king song makes it official 😂

[fflubadubb]

I was fascinated by this movie and at at the end it said the lions were at the Field Museum in Chicago. I really wanted to see them andcyears later I gotvtge chance while on a trip to Chicago.

[CollieDog]

If you read the book, there is no mention of Remminton, Douglas's character.

[NatalieDuby]

The Ghost And The Darkness is a great movie!