The Man-Eaters of Tsavo

Summary

Morbid Podcast – Episode Summary

Episode Title: The Man-Eaters of Tsavo
Hosts: Ash Kelley & Alaina Urquhart
Release Date: April 23, 2026

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Episode Overview

This episode of Morbid explores the chilling true story of the Man-Eaters of Tsavo: two infamous lions in late 19th century Kenya who terrorized railway construction camps, killing dozens of workers. Ash and Alaina combine their signature research-heavy style with witty banter and empathetic commentary, balancing the harrowing events with moments of lightheartedness and critical reflection about humanity’s relationship with the natural world.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Setting the Scene: Tsavo, 1898

[08:04–13:40]

• Colonel James Patterson arrives in East Africa to lead a bridge construction on the Uganda Railway.
  • Tsavo, Kenya: translates to “place of slaughter,” due to its history of bloodshed and conflict.
• Descriptions of Kenya’s arid, wildlife-rich environment; includes bush elephants, giraffes, buffalo, and—most notably—maneless lions.
• Fascination with maneless lions:
  • “With no fluffy mane, they look a little more villainous, to be quite honest.” – Ash [12:18]
  • Discussion on the evolutionary advantage of less fur (better for desert heat).
• Initial cultural and environmental challenges in clearing the dense, thorny jungle for construction.

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2. First Attacks & Unfolding Terror

[13:40–20:12]

• Patterson initially dismisses stories of vanishing workmen as rumors or desertions.
  • Horror intensifies after a worker is dragged from his tent by a maneless lion in front of eyewitnesses.
  • Quote describing the aftermath:
    • “His body appeared to have been completely ripped apart, with the flesh torn from all but his head and feet…” [16:15]
• Evidence of multiple past attacks: skulls and remains in the surrounding brush, confirming a pattern.
• Workers live in nightly fear; Patterson takes to climbing trees to defend his crew, highlighting his unusual hands-on leadership.

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3. The Lions’ Intelligence & Escalating Savagery

[25:29–34:34]

• The lions' tactics grow more sophisticated—avoiding traps, switching camp targets, and appearing to outsmart human defenders:
  • “They almost appeared to have an extraordinary and uncanny faculty of finding out our plans beforehand.” – Patterson via Alaina [29:18]
• Ash and Alaina discuss lion intelligence, referencing research about their problem-solving and cooperative hunting skills.
• Desperate defensive measures: workers consolidate camps, erect “wait-a-bit” thorn barriers, and try poisons and traps—all to little effect.
• The lions’ preference for live human prey:
  • “The beasts much preferred live men to dead donkeys.” – Patterson, cited by Alaina [31:06]

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4. Human Toll & Camp Despair

[32:33–41:00]

• Construction continues under constant threat, with men physically and psychologically worn down.
• Notable escape: a contractor survives when the lion grabs only his mattress, not him [33:01].
• Most are not so lucky—a reported 17 killed by late April; total to ultimately rise higher.
• Lions display extraordinary audacity:
  • One climbs and leaps from a tree onto a tent with 14 men, causing chaos [36:09].
• Local beliefs and folklore emerge: workers call the lions “shaitans” (demons), suspecting supernatural vengeance for colonial encroachment.

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5. “Lion-Proofing” the Camps and the Final Showdown

[41:00–60:16]

• A bounty is posted on the lions, attracting hunters; the increased human activity only temporarily pushes the lions away.
• Six months later, the lions return, now even bolder—attacking in broad daylight, breaking through bomas (pens), dragging victims away within sight of camp.
  • “The sound of their dreadful purring filled the air and rang in my ears for days afterwards.” – Patterson (read by Alaina) [46:23]
• The work grinds to a halt as workers refuse to continue until the lions are killed.
  • “We did not come here to get attacked and eaten by lions!” [52:20]
• Final confrontation:
  • After a close call with a misfiring rifle, Patterson ultimately kills the first lion after a harrowing hours-long standoff in a tree, with the lion stalking him [57:00]. He describes seeing its “yellow eyes staring directly at him.”
  • The second lion eludes pursuit but is killed after multiple encounters involving goats as bait [59:38].

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6. Why Did the Tsavo Lions Target Humans?

[61:13–63:25]

• Scientific studies of the lions’ skeletons (now at Chicago’s Field Museum) reveal severe dental injuries, making their usual prey (wildebeest, etc.) too difficult or painful to catch and eat.
• DNA evidence:
  • “Humans were a food of last resort, and the lions were primarily focused on the soft parts. These were not devilish skeleton crunchers, but injured cats doing what they could to survive.” – Riley Black via Alaina [61:45]
• The lions were likely brothers, evidenced by DNA in their teeth, and closely bonded (often grooming one another).

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7. Reflection, Empathy, & The “Circle of Life”

[64:32–66:42]

• Hosts express sympathy for both the lions and the workers:
  • “It’s just a lot of sadness… Animals are innocent. They don’t have the gnarly. You know, unless it’s an orca whale…” – Alaina [64:38]
  • “To be faced with the possibility of being eaten by a lion in the middle of the night—things are bad.” – Ash [66:17]
• Sobering reminder: these events were an outcome of colonial expansion and environmental disruption.
• The story provokes a broader meditation on humanity’s fraught relationship with wild animals and the dangers of encroachment.

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Notable Quotes & Moments

• On the brutality of being hunted:

  “Your body needs time to rest and recharge. If this is happening at night, it’s like—this is bad.” – Alaina [32:43]

• On the lions’ unique behavior:

  “The lions got so bold, they would just burst through the middle of a group of men and drag one off.” – Alaina [44:05]

• Science re-frames the myth:

  “What strikes me about the Tsavo story is that it is almost incomprehensible to a 21st century Western mindset. The terror that the night must have brought is unimaginable.” – Ross Barnett, quoted by Alaina [61:22]

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Fun & Morbid Facts

• Morbid trivia detour:

  • The chainsaw was originally invented for use in childbirth, a fact that horrifies both hosts [68:04].

• Animal facts:

  • Adult male lions can weigh 330–570 lbs; females, 260–400 lbs [37:04].
  • Lions show remarkable cooperative intelligence and adaptiveness.

• Personal moments:

  • Hosts reflect briefly on favorite animals (lions and elephants), and recount the awe of hearing a lion's roar at Disney [67:05].

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Timestamps for Key Segments

• Intro, Banter & Episode Setup: [01:32–08:04]
• Historical Context & First Attack: [08:04–20:12]
• Escalation & Defensive Measures: [25:29–34:34]
• The Human Toll: [32:33–41:00]
• “Lion-Proofing” & Final Hunt: [41:00–60:16]
• Scientific & Ethical Reflections: [61:13–66:42]
• Closing Morbid Fact & Banter: [68:00–end]

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Tone & Language Notes

• The episode blends gallows humor (“Never boop a lion snoot!”), self-aware banter (“No time off. No creative control. Just nothing… But you know what? That’s in the past.”), and empathy for all involved, human and animal alike.
• Hosts maintain signature conversational, warm tone while taking care not to sensationalize human or animal suffering.

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For New Listeners

If you haven’t heard the episode, this summary covers all the essential facts, story beats, and the reflective spirit of the discussion. The episode artfully balances education, commentary, and dark humor while never losing sight of the tragedy and complexity behind the tale of the Man-Eaters of Tsavo.

Transcript

[A]

Here's a quick podcast for all you true crime fans. The case of the missing Reese's. It was me at the store with my mouth Motive. They're Reese's. What was I gonna do? Stop myself? Tune in next time to see if I do it again. Spoiler. I will. Wow, that had everything. Reese's, suspense, Reese's. And Doug. There's nowhere I wouldn't go to help someone customize and save on car insurance with Liberty Mutual. Even if it means sitting front row at a comedy show.

[B]

Hey, everyone. Check out this guy and his bird. What is this, your first date?

[A]

Oh, no. We help people customize and save on car insurance with Liberty Mutual together. We're married. Me to a human, him to a bird.

[B]

Yeah, the bird looks out of your league.

[A]

Anyways, get a [e-mail] or with your local agent.

[B]

Liberty, Liberty. Liberty. Liberty. There's nothing like your first Mac. Here's what people online are sharing. Rhain says everything is just so smooth and fast. I still can't get over it. Syncing stuff between my phone and this is just chef's kiss. Rincredible488 says Apple Silicon basically cures low battery trauma. That's how they felt with their first Mac. How will you.

[C]

Introducing the all new MacBook Neo, an

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amazing Mac at a surprising price.

[C]

Find out more on apple.com Mac hey, weirdos. I'm Ash.

[B]

And I'm Elena.

[C]

And this is a podcast called Morbid.

[B]

Have you heard of it? I've heard of it. You have?

[C]

Because you're here. It's been my livelihood for a few years.

[B]

True. For a few years. Years. A handful.

[C]

A handful of years.

[B]

Yeah. Actually, it's been quite a few years at this point.

[C]

This is my longest job that I've held.

[B]

Whoa.

[C]

I know. I mean, I was a youth when we started this. I listened to. First of all, if you just started listening to Morbid and you caught up, like, super duper fast.

[B]

Thank you so much.

[C]

Because in the early episodes, I sound like I don't give a. About anything. I sound. I was just like, yeah, I was at work today and like, blah, blah, blah. And this happened.

[B]

You loved that. Ew. No, it worked.

[C]

I. I know the people stayed. It must have been for you at that point.

[B]

If you stay, it probably not.

[C]

If you.

[B]

If you stay. Let's face reality. I said, oh, I don't know what it was.

[C]

It was our charm, I guess.

[B]

If you stayed, you're a real one.

[C]

You're the realest. Roy.

[B]

I appreciate you I always did, but

[C]

now I sound like it.

[B]

It, like, really, really hits. When we listen to the older episodes, how. How much you. How much you just, like, hung in there and what we put you through.

[C]

It is crazy that it will be, like, a decade and not that many years.

[B]

Yeah.

[C]

That's nuts.

[B]

It's crazy.

[C]

I know. We'll have to, like, do something fun or something.

[B]

And it feels like we're finally in, like, we're back to the. The early days fun part again. Yeah. We had a little middle part there. We had a journey, you know, it was a true. You guys.

[C]

You know, I lost years off my life, but I'm gaining them back right now.

[B]

I'm learning how to regulate my nervous system again.

[C]

Yeah.

[B]

A really fun thing.

[C]

I actually was just saying, like, I wish that I could do. I've said this so many times, but now I can even tell you, like, even more why I wish I could do my wedding again.

[B]

Yeah.

[C]

Because my cortisol face at my wedding,

[B]

like, I still look phenomenal.

[C]

Thank you. I did. I looked gorgeous.

[B]

Good for so y'. All. Yeah.

[C]

But I still wish I could do it again because I think I would have even enjoyed it that much more, especially the planning process.

[B]

Oh, yeah.

[C]

Because it was just.

[B]

Because there was a lot going on. There was so much.

[C]

It was a mini disaster. Every.

[B]

There was, like, family things going on, too. Yeah. And then there was, like, work things that were literally constantly going on. So that was a lot.

[C]

I'm pretty sure the day of my

[B]

wedding, a podcast came out. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. Because we weren't.

[C]

No time off.

[B]

Because. No. No time off. Yeah.

[C]

Just reminiscing.

[B]

No. No time off. No creativity, no creative control.

[C]

Just nothing.

[B]

Yeah.

[C]

But you know what?

[B]

That's in the past.

[C]

And now we're doing things like playing Radio City Music hall, which.

[B]

You guys gotta come. We still have a few tickets left.

[C]

Yeah, we got.

[B]

This is one time.

[C]

One time only. This is one time. I literally just got my tap shoes

[B]

delivered the other day, and we're really brainstorming some really cool ideas, and we have one in particular that we're hoping is gonna happen, and I'm excited about it.

[C]

Oh, yes. If that happens, that thing that I. We can't say right now, I'll shit my pants.

[B]

Go. Go get your tickets. It's gonna be fun. It's gonna be. It's gonna be themy. And it's gonna be a real good time. And it's one time only. And we only have some tickets left, so remember to get Them at Ticketmaster only. Yes, because those are the ones we said. Yeah, yeah, sounds good. It's gonna be a lot of fun. I can't wait.

[C]

Jinx, you owe me a Coke.

[B]

But you know what?

[C]

You already bought me a Coke today.

[B]

Oh, yeah, I did. So you're.

[C]

So it's retroactive, paid back.

[B]

I like it. All right.

[C]

What's up, girl?

[B]

Oh, wait. Tomorrow also. Stay tuned.

[C]

Fun bonus episode.

[B]

For a fun bonus episode. One that I think you guys are gonna be pretty excited about. I don't know what it's about or anything, but I think you guys. Just leave that in. That's it.

[C]

So stay tuned for that Easter egg. Everyone's like, have you. Do you know what an Easter egg is? They're like, that's an Easter dump.

[B]

See if you can dissect that. Taylor Swift level

[C]

marketing.

[B]

Little marketing genius over here. Check it. So listen.

[C]

Listen to that. Listen to it. Check that out.

[B]

And also, go. Go take a peek at my social media because there's some fun book stuff happening tomorrow. So go, you know, set your alarm. Go for what? Go check it out. I don't know. Tomorrow. Oh, okay.

[C]

For 12:00am tonight. Got.

[B]

I don't know tomorrow, head on over to my. To my Instagram page and I'll tell

[C]

you all day only.

[B]

Okay. All day only. So get over there. So, yeah, so that's all the businessy I think we had to talk about. Yes, girl. So what are we gonna talk about today?

[C]

I don't know. It's yours.

[B]

I'll tell you, because it's my case.

[C]

People are like, what the are you guys on? We had McDonald's today.

[B]

We did. And we took a walk. Oh, we took a walk.

[C]

And it lit up different parts of our brain.

[B]

At one point, I just looked at everyone, I said, this has been a great day, guys. Yeah, so it has been. Here we are now. We're gonna get a little gnarly, though. Oh, did you say something about lions? Yeah, I sure did. Lions. So this is a little different because we know when I talk to you guys about the shark attacks in Joyce, you liked that. You guys were like, that was pretty interesting. Yeah. And then some people said, more animal attacks, please. And I said, okay, okay. And then Dave said, got it. He said, what about this one? Dave said, say less. He did. So we're going to talk about the Man Eaters of Savo today. What? That's right. You heard that, right? I've never heard of that. So this one's wild. I bet this one's gruesome. It does have trigger warning. There are animal deaths in it. And I'm just gonna say it right now that I wish the. I don't wish any human being to get hurt or mauled by an animal, but I do wish the animals just got to kind of go off and live their lives. I know. And just kind of go away, you know? Yeah. That's just how I feel. Let's begin. In the spring of 1898. Oh, we're going way. Yeah. Let's go back.

[C]

I wasn't even there.

[B]

Colonel James Patterson arrived in East Africa to take up a position leading the construction staff on the Uganda railroad, which was a very big infrastructure project based in Kilindini, Kenya. Okay. I hope I said that correct. I looked up many pronunciations. As one of the main waterways between Europe, the Middle east, and Africa, this whole region had been steeped in wars between competing interests trying to gain control. But by that point, it was the British who held majority control and had set the project forth, like, set it into motion. And they were really kind of largely relying on local labor managed by British officials. Okay. So after spending a week waiting on his orders, Patterson finally received a letter that told him he was going to go travel about 150 miles inland to a region called Tsavo, which is a combo word meaning place of slaughter. Don't go there, baby. I said, whoa.

[C]

Why would you name it that?

[B]

Because apparently, there had been so many wars and, like, battles and things that had happened on this land. So he was going to go there to take command of a crew that was going to build a large railroad bridge over the Tsavo River. Like much of Kenya at this time, Tsavo was really dry. It was really arid. There was rivers and streams cutting through various sections of it. And in addition to the large population of Kenyans living in the area, it also was home to a very diverse population of wildlife.

[C]

Oh, I love that.

[B]

Yeah. This was bush elephants, giraffe, buffalo, hyena, jackal, Rhinoceroses.

[C]

Rhinocero.

[B]

Rhinocerose.

[C]

I think it might be rhinoceroses.

[B]

Is it rhinoceros? I think it is rhinoceros. You do? I don't know.

[C]

Wow.

[B]

I'm gonna look it up, though. You should, Brian. Get smarter, sir. Let's get smart. I like getting smarter. My brain is. Is plural. Rhinocero. I did not spell plural. It's okay. The plural is either rhinoceroses or rhinocerose.

[C]

I like rhinocerose.

[B]

It kind of feels nice. It does. It's got a nice mouth.

[C]

Feel.

[B]

Love. Elephants Me too.

[C]

I would lay down my life for elephants.

[B]

I also love elephants. My youngest just got a stuffed elephant that she made and she named her. And she named them Eli. Yeah. And said sometimes they're a boy, sometimes they're a girl.

[C]

And I said, okay, non binary king and queen.

[B]

Yeah, I said iconic Ellie. And it's not Ellie Ellie.

[C]

And that's not even due to any kind of speech impediment. That's just her straight up name. Their straight up name.

[B]

Don't get it twisted.

[C]

No.

[B]

So, yeah, so there's that. So while many of the species living in the region did pose a threat to humans, there were definitely not a lot that were as fierce and as dangerous as the maneless lion. Maneless lion, you say? So this is a subspecies of big cat that evolved without the large fluffy mane.

[C]

So now they feel like they have something to make up for.

[B]

Well, here's the thing. They evolved without the large fluffy mane because it allows them to better survive the heat of the desert. Oh. So they actually, like, that's interesting. A little bit of a leg up.

[C]

Yeah, that's really cool, actually.

[B]

And I think it makes them less floofy looking because, like, when I see a, A big old lion with a big old mane, I'm like, oh, gotta touch it. And I know I can't. I know I can't, and I won't.

[C]

How often are you running into lions?

[B]

And when I see one at, like

[C]

a zoo, every day that I see a lot.

[B]

Every time I just run into one, but it's. Or I see one on like tv, I'm like, oh, touch that. Like, I just want to pet it, you know I love you. You know?

[C]

You know what I mean?

[B]

Because it's that fluffy.

[C]

No, I get it.

[B]

It just makes them look. So those are the boys.

[C]

The girls don't have that.

[B]

Yeah, you just want to boop boop there. Don't ever. Lions. You run into a lion, do not

[C]

boop the snoop unless you're familiar with that lion.

[B]

And like, you have a bond and. And you've booped the snoot before because I'm not here to tell you to boop any snoots.

[C]

Never boop a snoot for the first time.

[B]

Yeah. If you're not familiar with that lion. But these are maneless, so they, to me look a little more villainous, to be quite honest.

[C]

Okay.

[B]

Without a mane, it's like you're just a scary ass cat.

[C]

Well, that's like the ladies. And the ladies actually are more fierce.

[B]

They're badass.

[C]

I learned a lot about lions last

[B]

time I went to Disney. I love that for you.

[C]

Thank you.

[B]

So establishing a path through the dense jungle to get to this area where they were going to do construction was not an easy task, because you're not

[C]

supposed to go there, probably. You're not.

[B]

We're really not. The jungle in Sava was densely forested. It was overgrown. It was filled with, like, snarled plant life, which included a species of, like, a. This, like, species of plant that has, like, a variety of different species that are covered in large hooked thorns, and they're called Wait a bit thorns.

[C]

Wait a bit.

[B]

Wait a bit.

[C]

Wait a bit before you come up on this area.

[B]

Yeah. Or it's like you're gonna get stuck in these thorns, and then you're gonna wait a bit to get out. Oh. So in that first week, much of Patterson's time was spent getting to know the area, just kind of familiarizing himself with the work, the crew, what was going to be happening. Yeah, and this obviously wasn't, like, super manually intensive. This wasn't like the labor that they were gonna do. Yeah. It was still physically taxing. And each night, Patterson looked forward to going to sleep in the tent. He was like, this has been a long day.

[C]

I look forward to going to sleep in my bed.

[B]

Yeah.

[C]

Every day without doing much.

[B]

And if. If you got a tent, why not?

[C]

Never have I ever looked forward to sleeping in a tent.

[B]

No.

[C]

Never have I ever slept in a tent.

[B]

There you go. But he would be exhausted, he said, every single night. But he wrote in a journal. He kept a journal of everything. So he wrote. I little knew then what adventures awaited me in this neighborhood. And if I had realized that at the time two savage brutes were prowling around seeking whom they might devour, I hardly think I would have slept so peacefully in my rickety shelter. What prose, right? So as soon as he'd arrived in the camp, Patterson began hearing stories of men disappearing from camps in the area.

[C]

Not what you want to hear.

[B]

Upon arriving, at first, he was like, okay, whatever. Like, maybe they're just, like, legends, you know, like, people love to talk. Like, maybe they're just trying to get me, too. You know, we all love it. But after a few days, it became kind of impossible to ignore the increasingly credible tales. He said all the old caravan leaders had disliked this camp for one reason or another, and it was a noted place for desertions. And, in fact, very few of the caravans seemed to make it through the area without losing one or two of Their porters to the other men, the leaders of the caravan would usually provide a, you know, some kind of, like, whatever answer. Something about how the men had simply deserted them at in the night and joined an easier route. That's why they're not here. But few of the remaining members of the caravan found that to be reasonable at all, because who's gonna work hard for several weeks only to abandon their camp and their belongings in the middle of the night?

[C]

Fair.

[B]

Like, you're busting your ass for weeks at a time just to, like, peace out and leave everything. Yeah. So a few weeks into the construction project, the crew had finally reached the west side of the Savo river When Patterson first heard that one of his crew had disappeared the night before. Oh. Several others on the crew cited the stories of the other men who'd gone missing and insisted the missing worker had been carried off in the night by a lion. No, thank you. So Patterson said at the time, I did not credit this story and was more inclined to believe that the unfortunate man had been the victim of foul play at the hands of some of his comrades. But nevertheless, workmen were a valuable resource. So Patterson immediately assembled a group of people to go search for him. It didn't take long before his mind was changed. In speaking with the other men who shared a tent with the missing man, Patterson found one worker who witnessed the attack. Oh, it was around midnight, this guy said, and he said. When a large maneless lion poked its head through the flaps of the fucking

[C]

tent, Said, anybody in here?

[B]

And he quickly scanned the interior of the tent and saw that there were definitely people in there. And grabbed the nearest worker. His name was Ungan Singh. And he grabbed him by the throat. Oh. So sing cried out, koro, which means let go. And wrapped his arm around the lion's neck, trying to get him to release him. But the lion's grip was too tight, and the other men in the tent just all they could do was watch in horror as their literal friend and coworker was dragged into the darkness, screaming for his life. Oh, my God. So Patterson and the other men in the search party grabbed their rifles and went to investigate the area outside of Singh's tent. And they found large paw prints in the sand and deep gashes in the earth, which showed them what direction that he was being dragged away. And he said, we found it an easy matter to follow the route taken by the lion as he appeared to have stopped several times before beginning his meal. Oh. The areas where the lion appeared to have paused were accompanied by Pools of blood, each larger than the last. Oh, my God. Finally, less than a mile from the tent, they found Singh's body. It was. They said it was unimaginable horror. That's. Yeah. His body appeared to have been completely ripped apart, with the flesh torn from all but his head and feet. Patterson wrote. The ground all around was covered with blood and morsels of flesh and bones, but Sing's head had been left intact, the eyes staring wide open with a startled, horrified look in them. Oh, my God. All around the body were paw prints similar to those found along the bloody path that led from the tent to the body, but similar, but they weren't all the same. And as they looked at the prints, it occurred to them that those were two distinct set of prints in the dirt, indicating that one lion definitely pulled him from the tent, but he had been killed and eaten by at least two. Oh, my. Yeah. Patterson wrote, I've witnessed many an accident with fatal consequences, but the sight of this skeleton, from which the flesh had been ravenously torn was one of the most gruesome spectacles imaginable.

[C]

Also, imagine you're standing there, like, taking

[B]

that sitting duck, but that's the thing.

[C]

Exactly. You're sitting there where that group of lions or pair of lions just had a meal. Where the are they now?

[B]

Yeah, that's the thing. Like, they're not sitting here watching. Oh, that's horrifying. Now, in his mind, Patterson began thinking about all the stories he had heard about men going missing from caravans in the. In the Savo region. And he was like, oh, is this the same group of lions that are responsible for those attacks? And it seemed impossible because animal attacks didn't, you know, they happened from time to time, but they were, like, still exceedingly rare. They still are, yeah. Since most animals wanted nothing to do with humans who were just encroaching on their territory at this point. Now, at the riverbank, the men gathered up Singh's remains as best as they could, and they buried them in the sandy ground. They piled stones on it as kind of like a grave marker. Right. His head they placed in a burlap sack and brought back to camp in order to provide an identification to the medical officer. Oh, wow. Yeah. The next day, they returned to the area heavily armed, but there was no sign of the lions that had killed Singh. But to their horror, as they searched the area, they found a lot of evidence of other attacks. There were skulls and parts of skeletons littering the area.

[C]

What the.

[B]

He had definitely not been the first victim. And he was likely not going to be the last. You guys got to get out of there. So that night, the workmen were uneasy in their tents. They were scared to sleep. And they were like, they could just be lurking right outside our tent, just waiting to pounce.

[C]

Yeah.

[B]

James Patterson, on the other hand, took up a position in a near tree to the tent.

[C]

I don't blame him.

[B]

And it was near the tent that Singh was taken out of.

[C]

But then you got to think of all the animals that can climb trees.

[B]

Patterson is wild because he's like the lead here. He's supposed to be like, heading up this thing. He does take lead. Like, he puts himself in positions to try to protect his crew. So he's up in a tree, and he said if one of the lions returned that night, he was going to defend the camp and he was going to kill it. Okay,

[C]

Guys. Traditional home security is the worst. You have to read through all these long contracts and try to understand that. It's like you have to hire a lawyer to even get there. There's all these HIDD fees, there's cancellation penalties, which is ridiculous. And then once you get through all that, you have to sit around waiting for a technician.

[B]

Boo.

[C]

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[B]

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[C]

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[B]

So several hours passed with no sight or sound of lions anywhere near the camp. So he was beginning to think, okay, he's not going to come back tonight. When out of nowhere he heard, quote, a great uproar and frenzied cries coming from another camp about a half a mile away. The men at Patterson's camp knew they wouldn't be able to reach the camp in time to be of any use. And even if they were able to get there, none of them were really confident that they could fend off or fight off a man eating lion. Yeah, the best they could do was find some comfort in the fact that at least for tonight, they weren't gonna see the lion. Yeah, like what a shitty. They're just like, I guess we can go to sleep. Yeah. So the next morning, news reached his camp of the previous night's commotion. And it was what he had thought. Another of his workers at the railroad head camp had been ripped away from his tent by a lion in the middle of the night. That evening, Patterson took up a new position in a tree near the railhead camp and waited in the pouring rain for any sign of stalking lines. Oh my gosh. Just like the night before. Several hours passed and he was soaked. He's like freezing, soaked to the bone. He's about to climb down from his position when he heard, quote, a heart rending, shrieking, indicating that there had been another attack. This time at a camp about a half a mile from railhead. Okay, what we're gonna see is that the lions are smart, okay? It's like they know every time he moves to another one, they move away or they'll go to the other one that he was just not at. It's like really crazy. It's like weird intelligence.

[C]

Yeah.

[B]

Now, when the construction project began, the workmen were assigned to one of several camps scattered within an eight mile stretch along the R. Lions are known to Travel up to 12 miles a day to find food. Wow. That meant any of the men in any of the camps along the Tsavo river could be prey. And there was no way to know which camp the lions were gonna hit. It was like whack a mole. Yeah.

[C]

So I just actually googled it. And lions are considered the most intelligent of big cats.

[B]

That makes sense because this, their intelligence in this, this situation, it's like they were watching and like they would kind of just like adjust their plans.

[C]

This actually says they excel at cooperative hunting, complex problem solving and observational learning. So they were studying, they were literally observing and watching, learning, solve puzzles, remember solutions for months. And they, they possess larger frontal cortex regions, which is crucial for managing complex social bonds.

[B]

That makes so much sense. That's actually very fascinating because I always think like a lion pride is so interest. I always think like groups of animals and how they function are really, really interesting. Like elephants are very intelligent too. And they're very emotionally intelligent.

[C]

Elephants have straight up funerals and they like.

[B]

And their, their communities are so interesting.

[C]

Yep.

[B]

I could learn about that stuff for like ever. I love animals. I think it's so interesting. And I don't think we give them enough credit. No.

[C]

We're so self centered.

[B]

Like us. They are. But better than us. They are in so many ways. So at first, Patterson spent night after night just cycling between the camps with a rifle, taking up positions in makeshift hunting blinds, searching the landscape for any signs, just trying to keep his, his workers safe. And the men also successfully petitioned to consolidate the camps as best they could, just to try to keep them from being so spread out. Right. And they built a sort of barrier around themselves, winding the plants with, wait a bit thorns and around the perimeter for extra protection. All right. That was smart, unfortunately, but smart, however sensible. These efforts really didn't have a lot of effect on the two lions. They didn't give a.

[C]

You have to think they've probably, I mean, they've lived there forever, so they can adapt to those kinds of things.

[B]

They're hungry, so. And Patterson wrote, they almost appeared to have an extraordinary and uncanny faculty of finding out our plans beforehand, which is exactly now. In fact, whenever the men would put up an extra protection in one camp or which camp, whichever camp Patterson chose to monitor the lions, seemed to instinctually know to stay away, and would instead choose to attack another camp, knowing that they couldn't possibly protect every camp equally. Every single night, Patterson began laying simple traps for the animals. Sometimes he would use livestock as bait at the perimeter of the camp, hoping the animal would attract the lions. Other times, he would lace the corpses of animals with strychnine and other poisons. Brother. Just hoping that they would eat it and die essentially. And like, you can see why. I know they're going to these lengths. Yeah. Like men are dying and like, they're obviously what? Like, we'll see. They're getting very brazen.

[C]

Yeah.

[B]

But I want you to know that at the end of this, you're going to find out why they're being so brazen. And it might make you think a little differently about it. Were they really hungry? They were really hungry. And obviously it's not okay. No, it's not dying. I've said this in the shark attack thing. I think you guys understand. Yeah. My vibe here. I don't think anybody who takes this as like Elena. He thinks humans should die by animal attacks and that animals should live. No.

[C]

Wrong.

[B]

So just. It's just a bummer. Yeah. It's a bummer that they were encroaching. They were doing a job that they were sent there to do.

[C]

Right.

[B]

But we are encroaching on animals land and that these things happen when we encroach on animals land and it sucks, you know. So you can see he was just trying to protect his men. The animals are just trying to eat. So it's really just.

[C]

It's the circle of life, you know.

[B]

But yeah, it was sad. But none of these things caught. Caught the lions and they didn't really prove effective. In fact, Patterson wrote the beasts much preferred live men to dead donkeys. Whoa. Which I was like, damn.

[C]

Well, I mean, like when a donkey dies, it's like the same thing. When a human dies, decomposition starts to set in. So it probably tastes a little funky.

[B]

I'm sure it tastes different.

[C]

I'm sure they prefer fresh food.

[B]

Now, given the amount of time and energy that James Patterson devoted to hunting these man eating lions, you could easily forget that regardless of nocturnal terrors, there was a construction project going on during the day. During the day, they work crews conducted backbreaking, exhausting manual labor, building a massive bridge across the river. The physical toll this work took on the body was immense. Like we can't even. And in the heat and then think about the Mental inadequate, I'm sure. Like, supplies that they need to stay, like, as hydrated as they could be. All this. You got to think about that for sure. So it's like, then they're going to sleep at night. They should be able to just plop down and pass out and let their body recover from what they've been going through. They can't. And it's like in. Patterson here is staying up in trees in the pouring rain all night, trying to protect his camps and leading this project. And it's just the psychological strain of having become prey for an animal at night.

[C]

That's.

[B]

That's a lot. None of them felt equipped to protect themselves. And then they're dealing with this fight or flight thing.

[C]

It's similar to, like, when there's a serial killer in your area. You know what I mean?

[B]

Your body needs time to rest and, like, recharge from your day. And if this is happening at night, it's like, this is bad.

[C]

Yeah.

[B]

So the attempts to catch or kill the lions may have provided a sort of psychological distraction, at least from the sheer terror of being actively hunted at night. But feeling proactive didn't really do a lot to stave off the reality that it was only a matter of time before they made their way into the camps every night. Right. Night after night, the men listened helplessly as the terrified cries coming from nearby camps went on and on and on as one or more of their co workers were yanked out of bed and dragged away to their death. Oh, my God. We'll find out. One of these lions ate upwards of 20 men. Holy. Yeah. So it was night after night, 20 men. And sometimes the victim would get lucky. Like, one night in early April, a Greek contractor managed to avoid the horrible fate that his co workers faced when the lion grabbed the mattress he was lying on rather than him. And he was able to roll off and escape before the lion realized that it was holding a mattress and not a human. But. Yeah. But more often than not, the lion struck with unbelievable speed and precision. They're just. That's the other thing.

[C]

They're so.

[B]

Yeah.

[C]

Fast.

[B]

They're highly evolved predators. Yeah. This is what they do. So it gives the. The victim and the other men in the tent have no second to react. They can't do anything.

[C]

Also, just imagine being the person, like, sleeping next to the.

[B]

Yeah.

[C]

The person that gets dragged out of

[B]

the tent and you can't help them.

[C]

You can't help them. And you're like, I was that. It was that close to being me.

[B]

And hearing Them scream.

[C]

How do you exactly?

[B]

Now, according to Ronald Preston, who the engineer managing the team at Railhead, by the end of April the lions had killed, quote, 16 Punjabi workmen and one Punjabi headman. So while the loss of life was obviously the primary issue in the camps, it wasn't the only challenge that was being posed by the lions. For the most part, an animal will really only kind of expend as little energy and effort as necessary to catch prey. Yeah, and this is pretty true for the savo man eaters too. Okay. If they could simply stick their heads in through a flap of a tent and grab a man by the neck, that was simple for them. Like they would do so and just be on their way. Other times, however, it seemed like the circumstances were, were like unfolding in a way that a simple attack, like what would normally be a simple attack, would escalate into pure chaos. And they would not really run away. They would like the lions. Yeah. They would stay the course until they got it. Okay. Like one evening towards the end of April, one of the lions climbed high into a tree adjacent to a tent in which 14 workers were sleeping. And it leaped down onto the tent from above. No, crawled into a tree and jumped on top of the tent. Oh my God. Every night my 80 pound dog jumps on me in bed to lay on me and it's the scariest event in my life every time. And that's a, that's a, a little poop monster who's just there to snuggle me.

[C]

Brother, I'll do you one better. I have a 12 pound cat that scares the out of me on the nightly £12. How the much does a lion weigh?

[B]

Whole ass, man eating lion jumps on your tent. Can you imagine the chaos that broke out in that tent?

[C]

No.

[B]

Because now you can't see, you can't move. You're being like restricted by tent fabric, like you don't know.

[C]

And a whole ass lion and 13 other people. I need you to guess what a typical male lion generally weighs. Give me a little bit of a range between what and what?

[B]

I'm trying to think. So my dogs are like 80 pounds each. Okay, so two of them are 160 pounds.

[C]

Yeah.

[B]

Between like 200. No. And 250.

[C]

No. Average adult male lions generally weigh between 330 and 570 pounds. And if it was a woman lion,

[B]

I think they were, they were boys.

[C]

Were they boys?

[B]

Yeah.

[C]

Well, just so you know, women lions average 260. Between 265 and 400 pounds.

[B]

Holy.

[C]

So like that Might have just killed somebody.

[B]

Just purely off landing on them. Yeah.

[C]

Holy.

[B]

And just the fact that that lion, first of all, thinking of a line, climbing up a tree.

[C]

I didn't know that they could climb.

[B]

Scariest ever. Like, you can't get away from it by climbing up a tree. Imagine climbing up a tree in the end, and the lion's like, me too. Yeah, I'll get. I'll meet you up there. Like, I'd be like, oh, absolutely. And then for a lion to look down and be like, huh? I bet if I jumped on that, I could probably get them.

[C]

Oh, my. Like, what the.

[B]

So it easily tore through the top of the tent, and its claw caught one man in the shoulder and knocked him to the ground. But in its attempt to make a hasty escape, because things got a little crazy, okay. The lion grabbed a large bag of rice and thought it was a person at first lying on the ground next to the man and made off with the large bag of rice.

[C]

Have the rice.

[B]

Which also is bad because I'm like,

[C]

they're a food source. I know.

[B]

The next day, when the men searched the area, they found the bag of rice a little less than a mile away. And it was. It was made of cloth. That's why, too.

[C]

Yep.

[B]

And it was torn to shreds, and the contents was just everywhere. Now, in another failed yet still harrowing attack, an Indian trader was approaching one of the camps along with his donkey late one evening, when one of the lions sprung from the underbrush and knocked them both to the ground with, like, incredible force. The donkey was badly wounded by the claws of the lion, and the trader assumed the lion would make off with the donkey rather than fight the stronger prey.

[C]

Right.

[B]

Like they know. And the trader quickly found out he was wrong, though, because the lion turned right to him in literally, like. In like. Like, haunches up, like, I'm gonna attack. But when the lion began to move, his claws and forepaws were in the. The way he described this later was. He said it was almost comical the way he was tangled in the donkey's reins. So because the donkey had, like, a bunch of empty oil tins and other pieces of metal, like, strung on his reins. So the lion was eventually able to rip the reins free from the donkey, but they were still tangled around his front legs.

[C]

Oh, my God.

[B]

And according to Patterson, the rattle and clatter made by these as he dragged them after him gave him such a fright that he turned tail and bolted off into the jungle to the intense relief of the trader.

[C]

I mean, that's great for the trader,

[B]

but, like, the poor.

[C]

And that lion was probably so embarrassed.

[B]

He was probably like, y', all, I was gonna.

[C]

I was gonna eat you.

[B]

You're an.

[C]

Oh, my gosh.

[B]

Like, damn. So among the workers, a legend emerged that these were not ordinary lions, but they were, in fact, shaitans, which. It means demons. Oh. Others believe the lions were physical manifestations of the spirits of long dead local tribal leaders who were angry with the British for invading and altering the region with their construction work.

[C]

Or maybe they're just lions that are

[B]

upset that you're interrupting their. There's also that possibility. That seems pretty simp. These were the. So these beliefs came out of, like, the behavior of the animals. Right. Which was definitely more aggressive and more assertive than ordinary lions.

[C]

Yeah.

[B]

And the lengths that they would go to attack and eat humans and how consistent they were, that was different because there was other prey available. Yeah. They were like, there's like wildebeests over there. That's like your favorite thing in the world. Why are you not eating those and you're coming to us?

[C]

Well, they're so much bigger, too. That's like, they're gonna satisfy more.

[B]

We are not lions. Like, choice prey. No. Like given us and like a wildebeest or us and something else they'll take. They're picking the other thing every time. Yeah. So by the summer, complaints about the attacks and the missing workers had finally reached such a fever pitch that the British authorities had to address the fears of further attacks. In July, the company responsible for the project, the British East Africa company, offered a 200 rupee reward for, and this is sad, quote, the skin of any lion shown to the satisfaction of the managers to have been destroyed within one mile on either side of the railway line and to a distance of 5 miles east and west of the river Savo.

[C]

It's one thing to kill an animal for your protection.

[B]

Yeah.

[C]

That.

[B]

You know.

[C]

You know how we feel.

[B]

Yeah.

[C]

It's another thing to skin a.

[B]

I'm

[C]

sorry, but go yourself.

[B]

I don't get it. You.

[C]

Like.

[B]

Like, this is the 1800s.

[C]

I'm so upset by that.

[B]

It was wild.

[C]

So upsetting.

[B]

Now, in a region that frequently struggled with poverty as well, this bounty on lions attracted a large number of hunters because, again, they're, like, struggling just to feed themselves. Like, a 200 rupee reward is huge. And so, like, a ton of hunters and would be hunters came to the area all hoping to claim the reward. It was likely the dramatic increase in people and noise that actually ended up keeping the Savo man eaters, quote, unquote, away for so many months. Because they did stay away for quite some time.

[C]

They said that, I know what y'

[B]

all are up to. They're real smart, right? Because these lions are clever. They would know better than to return to an area where the sounds of rifles could be heard every few minutes. They're like, yeah, I'm gonna be.

[C]

I'm good. I think I'm all set with that.

[B]

The presence of so many hunters and the lion's failure to appear night after night allowed the workmen at least to relax for the first time since the project began. But because of that, they let their guard down. And so when they did return, which they did, they were not prepared. After nearly six months of relative peace. Wow. Yeah. The attacks began again in Patterson's camps. One night in early November, he wrote, on this occasion, a number of men had been sleeping outside their tents for the sake of coolness. And they let their guard down. Yep. He said when the men heard one of the lions forcing its way into the boma, which was the animal pen where they were sleeping, he said, all the men leap to their feet and raised the alarm to alert the rest of the camp. Then they took up whatever weapons they could find to try to protect themselves. This was like rocks, sticks, just hurling them in the direction of the lions, just trying to protect themselves. Unfortunately, the noise and thrown objects had no effect on the lion. A few moments later, the lion burst into the middle of the group of men and just grabbed one and dragged him off through the thorny fence and into the darkness. So the lion just, like, launched himself into the middle of a ton of men and just grabbed the nearest one.

[C]

That's not.

[B]

Yeah, like, that's insane. The entire camp listened with horror as two lions devoured this man not more than 30 yards away from the camp. Now, the return of the lions was disheartening, obviously, because they really were hoping they would have peace. But it wasn't just the return that shook up the men. It was now how fucking bold they were. So in the past, one lion would sneak silently into the camps, grab the unsuspecting prey, then drag the man nearly a mile away from camp before killing and eating him. Now the lions were aggressively forcing their way into the camps, like, barreling through any protective measures and attacking large groups of armed men, Paying no attention to the loud sounds and thrown objects and not going as far, and then grabbing the prey. They barely would wait until they were outside of camp before killing and eating him they had to have been, like, legitimately. Yeah. So the next morning, Patterson discovered the remains of this man less than 50 yards outside the camp. Unlike the previous attacks, he refused to let the men bury the remains this time, hoping the animal would return that night, posted in his tree. He waited, but that night. But the only animal that came around was a hyena. And the hyena sniffed the remains and then just ran off. So the next morning, he received word that the lions had attacked another camp two miles down the river. Okay, like, same night?

[C]

Yeah.

[B]

Night after night, he sat in the trees outside the camps along the river, listening as the men shouted their warnings from one camp to the next. And the warning that you would often hear, and I'm going to try my best to say this correctly, was kabar dar bayona shattan atta, which is, beware, brothers, the devil is coming. Oh. And they would be, like, yelling this to each other.

[C]

Oh, that's so chilling.

[B]

But for at least one of the camps, the warnings always came way too late, and one among them was inevitably dragged away in the middle of the night. So these lions are getting more and more brazen by the day, it seemed. And one evening, one of them grabbed a man from the railway and actually brought him closer to the camp rather than far away in order to eat him. What? Yeah. Patterson wrote, I could plainly hear them crunching the bones.

[C]

Oh, my God.

[B]

And the sound of their dreadful purring filled the air and rang in my ears for days afterwards. Oh, my God.

[C]

To think of them purring like, that's so messed up.

[B]

And the crunching bones. By mid November, the lions changed their strategy yet again in another display of boldness. Until that point, their hunting pattern had been that one animal again would sneak into camp. The other would wait in the bush a distance away. Now they were entering together. So now it wasn't just one bringing it out. It was both. They said, we don't need a look sometimes. Now, grabbing multiple victims, because now each lion would grab one. Yeah. This new strategy didn't always work out very well for the animals or for the victims on that matter. On one night in late November, the lions attacked one of the camps and dragged away two men into the dark, each one from inside the camp. The workmen could hear one of the men moaning in pain just outside the camp. And when they finally mustered up the courage to go out and look for him, they found that he was badly mauled, but he was stuck in the thorny underbrush a few dozen yards away from camp. It looked like he had become stuck there and the lion wasn't able to drag him through, so they left him and just went to consume the other victim. The workmen were able to untangle him from the bushes, but he died from its injuries.

[C]

I was gonna say the thought of getting mauled by a lion and then left stuck in gigantic thorns.

[B]

Yeah. Worst way to die. Yeah.

[C]

91% of dog parents say their pup is an important member of the family and 40% would even save their dog over a human stranger. That number is probably not high enough. Safe to say though, that people are obsessed. I'm obsessed with my dog. 100% of me would save her over a human stranger and she's literally my daughter.

[B]

Okay.

[C]

And if anybody gets being dog obsessed besides me, it's Ollie. They're relentless about delivering the best food and experience for you and your dog with fresh recipes developed by real chefs and backed by veterinary nutritionists. And they give you a way to check in on their health over and over and over again. Through their app. You can actually check in on your dog's health with real vets. Get ready for both you and your pup to be obsessed. Head to ollie.commorbid tell them all about your dog and use code morbid to get 60% off your welcome kit when you subscribe today. Plus, they offer an obsession guarantee if you're not completely obsessed with, you'll get your money back. That's O l l I e.com morbid and enter code morbid to get 60 off your first box. Ollie Feed the Obsession this episode is brought to you by Ashley. Your home should show off who you are. Ashley has styles that balance timeless appeal and modern trends to bring your personal look home. The eye catching design of Ashley pieces is one thing, but they also offer practical features like stain resistance, performance fabric options that are incredibly durable, super easy to clean. Some pieces even have machine washable cushion covers. Obsessed with that, Ashley offers well crafted, affordable pieces built to stand up to real life with great looks that are made to last. Plus, Ashley provides fast, reliable white glove delivery right to your room of choice. I just got a bunch of Ashley furniture. They were super nice and sent it to us for my new Pod Lab. I really wanted to match the cozy library vibe that we have going on in here. And if you know me, you know that I'm obsessed with velvet. So I got the Revillon Lakes lovesea and sofa in this olive polyester velvet upholstery. It is gorgeous. It looks super upscale in my little podlab area and it's got this like, like I was saying earlier, they have that like timeless approach but with a modern vibe to it. So it really fits my vibe. I also got the Corestone end tables. I love those because the base of the table has this space where you can put like books or knickknacks to kind of dress them up, just depending on what kind of vibe you're going for. And finally I got the Melee coffee table. I'm so obsessed with that coffee table that I actually am getting another one for my living room downstairs. And I don't care if it's weird to have two coffee tables because it's so gorge. It's very like dark, sultry wood and the legs are so ornate. They look very intricate. I love Ashley and so will you. The delivery process was one of the easiest things ever. Love the white glove delivery. So visit your local Ashley store or head to Ashley.com to find your style. Sling is the live TV service that puts viewers in charge of their entertainment at an unmatched value. Streaming live sports shows and movies starts at just $4.99 and everything works instantly across your favorite devices. The best part? Total control over the channel lineup. No paying for tons of channels that never get watched, or local channels that are already free. And there's also no long term contract. Live TV is available when it's wanted, with flexible options like monthly subscriptions or one day, three day or seven day passes. Subscriptions can be paused at any time and entertainment doesn't stop over 600 free channels stay available even after pausing. One thing that I love about Sling is they have this thing called the Cloud DVR and it includes 50 hours of storage, but you can also upgrade that to to 200 hours. I love that. That's awesome because I love to record my shows and watch them later and then fast forward through the commercials. Choose and customize your favorite channel lineup or pause and watch for free. Sling lets you do that. Visit sling.com to learn more.

[B]

By the beginning of December, the workmen on Patterson's crew had finally had enough. One afternoon when they returned to his camp, Patterson found the entire construction crew standing there waiting for him. They said they had come from India to work and get paid. And they said, we did not come here to get attacked and eaten by lions. And they said, we are not going to work until these lions are gone. I mean, and you can't blame them. This is terrifying.

[C]

Yeah, you can. I would just, I'd be like, we're not doing this.

[B]

Well, many of them didn't even bother with the ultimatum. They just waited for the next train to pass, hopped aboard, and said, bye.

[C]

That would be me.

[B]

Somewhere else is better than here. That would be me. To his credit, Patterson did take this ultimatum very seriously. And in the weeks after this, all work on the railroad ceased while they focused on lion proofing the camps. So he just stopped the work. He was like, we'll figure. We're going to figure this out. So Patterson's persistence over the previous year finally paid off in December. On the morning of December 9, he was leaving his camp when he saw one of the men running towards him frantically, shouting, simba, Simba. Which means lion. Yeah, I know. So he was saying, lion. Lion. And waving his arms above his head, Frank, frantically. When he reached the camp, he told Patterson that the lions had attempted to grab one of the workmen down by the river, and when he escaped, they killed the donkey instead and were currently eating it. Okay. So knowing he might not have a better opportunity, he grabbed his rifle and followed this man back to the river. When they reached the banks of the river, he saw that one of the lions was eating a donkey by the water. Unfortunately, as he approached quietly, one of his guides stepped on a branch and caused it to snap.

[C]

Like horror movie. No, no, literally.

[B]

So the noise alerted the lion, who looked up in their direction, growled, and then dragged the carcass of the donkey into deep underbrush. Like, just was like, y'. All.

[C]

He literally said, y'.

[B]

All.

[C]

That's exactly what I was gonna say.

[B]

Like, you know that Homer Simpson back to the bush, into the bushes. That's what that delight.

[C]

He's like, you saw thing?

[B]

No. So, of course, Patterson is terror. He's like, I'm gonna lose this animal, and it's right there. Like, I could end this. So he instructed the man to return to the camp, gather up the other men and all the cans, pots, and pans they could find. And he said, this plan is to have the men surround the area and simultaneously cause incredible noise that would send the animal running in his direction, which was pretty smart.

[C]

Pretty smart and very brave.

[B]

Yeah. So Patterson crouched down behind a large anthill, not far from where they had seen the lion. And when all the men were in position, he gave the single signal, and he wrote. Soon a tremendous noise was raised by the advancing line of men, and to my great joy, out into the open path stepped a huge maneless lion. After tracking the animals for nearly a year, and he was really only catching glimpses of them in the darkness at this point.

[C]

Right.

[B]

He Said seeing one of these in daylight on incredible. Yeah, it was terrifying. When the lion got within 15 yards, he emerged from his hiding place and took aim. And his sudden appearance startled the lion, obviously, who dug in its claws and crouched back on its haunches, and he was ready to leap at him. Patterson pulled the trigger, but to his absolute horror, he heard that dull thud a rifle makes when it misfires. Oh, just go. He said. I was so disconcerted at this untoward accident that I forgot all about firing the left barrel. And with the intention of reloading, I lowered the rifle from my shoulder. Thinking the animal would use the opportunity to attack Patterson, he was surprised when it instead ran into the bush. So he's like, I'm gonna lose this thing for good. So he raised his rifle again and just pointed into the direction that it had run and just blindly fired. And he said he heard an angry growl that said that he what he did hit him. But he said, but when he went to check the area, the lion had escaped. But he's like, I think I hit him now. Determined to end the terror, he went back to where the donkey lay in the brush by the river and took up a position in one of the trees, hoping the lions would come back for that. Okay. Several hours later, after the sun went down, he heard the sound of snapping twigs and realized one of them had come back. Back. But rather than go back to the carcass, as Patterson thought he would, the lion sniffed the air for a few moments, then emitted a low growl. And that was indicating that he sensed his presence. Y so he literally sniffed him out in the air and was like, I'm gonna you up. So to Patterson's surprise, the lion ignored the donkey carcass, totally ignored it. Available food right there. And instead began searching the area for him. And they can climb trees. Uh huh. And he said, for about two hours, he horrified me by slowly creeping round and round my crazy structure, gradually drawing closer. Oh, my God. For hours, he sat silently in this tree, desperately trying not to make even

[C]

a sound, literally move a muscle.

[B]

His trance like state was finally broken when sometime after midnight, he was struck in the back of the head by something large. And at first, because he kind of zoned out, because he was trying to just like really zone, he thought the lion had come up and had actually found him. But then he realized he had been struck by a large owl. I love owls. What the are the odds of that? They're working together, baby. I'm like, mother Nature is just like doing its mother nature's like, get out of here. Like, what the. So a large owl just. Just walloped him in the head. The jolt caused him to look around frantically, and he realized the lion was crouched down in the brush just a few yards away. He could see his yellow eyes staring directly at him. Oh, certain this was going to be his absolute last chance, he fired the rifle and he hit the lion directly in the chest. Patterson wrote, he gave a most terrific roar and leaped and sprang about in all directions. The lion had retreated into the brush and was likely trying to escape. So he did fire again in his direction. And finally, a few moments later, he heard the last of the lion's breaths.

[C]

And it was okay, but I'm gonna actually cry, right?

[B]

No, it's really sad. I really. It's really sad.

[C]

That's the part that I don't like about these stories, is that we always kill the animal for doing what animals do.

[B]

I know.

[C]

Like, I know this is a very extreme.

[B]

Yeah. Case.

[C]

And again, I don't like this all over. People were killed, but I'm really sad.

[B]

It's just a lot of sadness. So when Patterson finally got a good look at the lion, he was truly impressed. He said it was nearly 10ft long.

[C]

Holy.

[B]

4ft high. Larger than an average lion. Yeah. And aside from the obvious scars from the thorn brushes, he was unblemished, like a beautiful lion. And as Patterson had assumed, the first shot struck him in the heart, and one of the subsequent shots had hit him in the thigh. Oh, my God.

[C]

You're actually gonna make me cry right now.

[B]

When the news of the death reached the camp, several men arrived at the site, and they brought the animal back to the camp. So a few days later, Patterson set out a trap for the second lion, tying three. And this is three goats to a 250 pound rail. I love goats. A few hours later, the lion appeared and grabbed one one of the goats. And that gave Patterson a chance to fire. Unfortunately, when he fired, the shot hit the lion in the shoulder, not the head, and the shot barely managed to slow him down. And he took off into the brush, and he dragged all three goats and the rail with him.

[C]

He said, your shit. I'm taking it all.

[B]

All of it. Don't piss off a lion. So the shot might not have done its job, but it did seem to drive him off. And it wasn't seen again for more than a week. Week. Okay. On the evening of December 26, the lion appeared again at one of the camps, and it managed to get through the thorny fencing. And into the camp, where it tore through several tents and destroyed much of the site. But it failed to attack any of the men. Okay. Believing the injured animal might make a return to the same camp, he set up, Patterson set up a blind in one of the trees near the camp and waited. A few hours later, the lion appeared and he shot the animal, killing it instantly. Which is really sad.

[C]

It is really sad.

[B]

In the years that followed the attacks, the legend of the Tsavo man eaters continued to spread and grow. By the time the story reached its peak popularity, it was said that the lions killed and devoured hundreds of men. A worker on the railway wrote, hundreds of men fell victim to these savage creatures whose very jaws were steeped in blood, bones, flesh, skin, and blood. They devoured it all and left not a trace behind them. In reality, attacks on humans by large predators are extremely rare. Right. Because we are not part of any predators diet, and we pose a massive threat to every other species. And Ross Barnett, a paleogeneticist at the University of Copenhagen, said, what strikes me about the Savo story is that it is almost incomprehensible to a 21st century Western mindset. Yeah. The terror that the night must have brought is unimaginable. No, it really is.

[C]

It really is.

[B]

So if humans are not part of a lion's diet and we're actually pretty hard to catch, like, you have to go through a lot. Why the did they hunt and kill so many men?

[C]

Was there some kind of shortage going on?

[B]

So, like wildebeest, it turns out, like most repeated large cat attacks on humans, the explanation for these attacks were found in the animal's mouth. In a recent scientific study of the Savo lion skeletons, which, by the way, are on display at the Field Museum of Natural History in Chicago.

[C]

Savo like S a V o t

[B]

S a v o. Zoologists discovered that both lions had damaged teeth, Even without causing illness from infection, which was likely broken. And damaged teeth can make it difficult or extremely painful for an animal to consume its regular diet. Oh, wow. So it switches to something it can catch and eat. So the theory, and this is also interesting, the theory was supported by a DNA analysis of the lion's hair, which found the animals had not consumed any wildebeest, which is its favorite prey, and had otherwise been eating slower, softer animals. So Riley Black from Smithsonian magazine in 2017 wrote, humans were a food of last resort, and the lions were primarily focused on the soft parts. Okay. These were not devilish skeleton crunchers, but injured cats doing what they could to survive. Oh, that makes it even. Additional information. This is really. This made me sad because I was like, oh, no. Additional information from the study revealed that these two lions were likely brothers.

[C]

I need you to shut up.

[B]

Quote. The fact that they had each other's DNA in their teeth suggests that the lions were closely bonded and spent time grooming one another.

[C]

No, I'm actually not built for this.

[B]

So when that first lion died, it makes me so sad for that second one, because he was just without his brother.

[C]

No, I can't.

[B]

I can't do that. I can't do that now. As for how many victims the lions took, according to zoologist Bruce Patterson, one lion ate 10 people and the other 24.

[C]

It's a lot of people.

[B]

A lot of people. As for John Henry Patterson, his killing of the man eating lions did make him a local hero and somewhat of a legend. With the threat removed, the crews were able to go back to work, and the railroad bridge was completed in February 1899. And when the project was finished, Patterson served tours of duty in the Second Boer War and World War I, among other conflicts. He also found time to begin a writing career, and he started with his account of the Savo Man Eater attacks, followed by several other adventure novels. Wow. Like, badass. Following his retirement from the military, he focused really on writing, and he also traveled the world giving lectures about wildlife and big game. Okay. On June 18, 1949, James Patterson died of natural causes in Bel Air, California at the age of 79. Wow. What a life. And that's. He did protect his crew. He did. So there's that. He did. I. I know I feel bad for the lions. I feel bad for, obviously, the men that had to go through. It's the same thing as the shark attack. You feel bad for everyone forever. Like, it's the thing.

[C]

I just. I know something in me, like, I can't hear about animal death.

[B]

Like, animals are innocent.

[C]

They are.

[B]

They don't have the gnarly. You know, unless it's an orca whale. I feel like orcas have, period.

[C]

But you know what? You know what, did we, like, wrong them, though? I feel like we probably did. Like, we probably made them, though.

[B]

I'm not saying oracle whales are, like, wrong. I'm just saying they are homicide. They have. They have instincts that we are not. That they're not supposed to have. Like, they have. It's like I said, it's a lot. No, they do.

[C]

It's like I say, the ocean's not for us.

[B]

No, it's not.

[C]

Then they're trying to.

[B]

They're trying to.

[C]

To stand there.

[B]

I need to know. I need some more terrifying ocean stories.

[C]

Yeah, I like the ocean.

[B]

Those are fun.

[C]

Because I love cats.

[B]

I know. And like, I love lions.

[C]

Lions are just like big cats.

[B]

One of my kids loves lions.

[C]

I know. She always has.

[B]

So make her so mad. She'd be like, let them go. I know.

[C]

That one was. That was a tough one for me.

[B]

Yeah.

[C]

We gotta space these out because.

[B]

God. Very interesting.

[C]

Very interesting, though. Especially like, the. The issue with their teeth and that's what they were going after.

[B]

And the. Just the. The fact that these men were just yanked out of tents in the middle of the night.

[C]

It's like so up like that. I don't want to take away. Like, I know I've been harping a lot on the animals, but that is incredible.

[B]

Yeah. They're just. And. And again, they're sleeping. Be like they exhaust after an exhausting day of manual labor. It's like. That sounds like hell on earth.

[C]

It's also good to remind yourself, too, that there weren't like a ton of jobs back then.

[B]

No, that's the other thing.

[C]

They were desperate for money for their families.

[B]

The ones who are leaving are the ones who you literally can't handle it.

[C]

Like, that was broken down.

[B]

You know how bad it was for some of them to be like that anywhere else is better than this.

[C]

To be faced with the possibility of being eaten by a lion in the middle of the things are bad. That's rough.

[B]

If you're willing to stick that out, that's pretty brutal. That's.

[C]

Well, then you think of how many

[B]

men did stick it out exactly, like a billion zillion degrees where they are in Africa. And like, that night they were just trying to sleep in a cool area because it's like a billion degrees and you're sitting duck. Yeah.

[C]

What a story. That was very fascinating.

[B]

I also didn't know about manless lions.

[C]

I didn't know about this other thing. They're beautiful. I was just looking at pictures.

[B]

Oh, lines are gorgeous. When I say I just wanted. I just want to smush them. I know, but they would. But don't. Don't. I'm not.

[C]

I'm not gonna.

[B]

Don't do that.

[C]

I won't. Remember when we went to Disney together and we heard the lion roar on the safari.

[B]

That was gnarly.

[C]

That was the craziest thing I ever experienced.

[B]

One of us are life changing because they're just damned.

[C]

Like when that movie starts.

[B]

Yeah.

[C]

You know, like Those movies.

[B]

That movie. That one movie.

[C]

I don't know why I said that movie. What are those?

[B]

What.

[C]

What production is that?

[B]

It's the Raw. The.

[C]

I'm just looking at it in my head.

[B]

I am too. I'm watching it in my head. What is the production company that has the Lion? Is it mgm?

[C]

Is it mgm?

[B]

I can see it in my head.

[C]

I think you're exactly right.

[B]

Yeah. Hi.

[C]

Karen in Georgia.

[B]

Yeah, it is mgm.

[C]

Yeah, I thought so.

[B]

Did you say, hey, Karen in Georgia?

[C]

Yeah. Because I said, you're exactly right.

[B]

Oh, okay. I thought you were thinking mfm.

[C]

Oh, no.

[B]

And I was like, it's mgm.

[C]

I was like, you're exactly right. And then I said, hey, Carrie in Georgia.

[B]

Hey.

[C]

That was insane.

[B]

Yeah, that was wild.

[C]

I have a fun fact.

[B]

I love fun facts.

[C]

It's kind of a morbid fact, to

[B]

be honest with you. I mean, this is what the show is.

[C]

I got this from Cosmopolitan. Chainsaws were first invented.

[B]

Oh, I know this.

[C]

I had a feeling you might know this. For childbirth.

[B]

Yeah.

[C]

They were developed in Scotland in the late 18th century to help aid and speed up the process of symphysiotomy, which is widening the pubic cartilage and the removal of diseased Latin bone during childbirth.

[B]

That's horrifying. What the. The. Yeah.

[C]

You knew that I had it. Why did I know you were gonna do that?

[B]

You thought you said that ahead of time, too. I did.

[C]

I was like, you'll probably know this.

[B]

You might know this. Yeah.

[C]

That is a crazy.

[B]

Isn't that crazy?

[C]

I want to know a lot more about that. But, like, also nothing else, but nothing at the same time.

[B]

Yeah.

[C]

What would you. Can you imagine? Like, I've never given birth. You've done it twice. Like, three times, technically, I guess. What would you do if you were just, like, laying there and they're like.

[B]

Like, no. The sound of a chainsaw is terrifying.

[C]

Yeah.

[B]

That's so over.

[C]

The end of every haunted house ever.

[B]

Oh, God. It's like my least favorite part of the haunted house.

[C]

Oh, my God.

[B]

I hate it.

[C]

To think of that coming anywhere near your situation. Your downstairs mix up.

[B]

It's gonna become a downstairs mix up.

[C]

At that point, it's gonna become a downstairs catastrophe.

[B]

Catastrophe, period.

[C]

A downstairs.

[B]

I'm trying to think of it downstairs. Ugh.

[C]

I'm trying to think of a D word. A downstairs disaster.

[B]

Yes. There you go.

[C]

And with that, we leave you. What? An unhinged beginning, middle, and end.

[B]

Lord.

[C]

Well, we hope you keep listening.

[B]

And we hope you keep it.

[C]

But not somewhere that you use a chainsaw during childbirth because holy.

[B]

And don't poop a lion. Yeah, I know it's hard.

[C]

I know.

[B]

I want to find a lion right now just to move it.

[C]

I love it.

[B]

Sam. Sa.

[A]

There's nowhere I wouldn't go to help someone customize and save on car insurance with Liberty Mutual. Even if it means sitting front row at a comedy show.

[B]

Hey, everyone. Check out this guy and his bird. What is this, your first date?

[A]

Oh, no. We help people customize and save on car insurance with Liberty Mutual together. We're married. Me to a human, him to a bird.

[B]

Yeah, the bird looks out of your league. Anyways.

[A]

Get a [e-mail] or with your local agent.

[B]

Liberty. Liberty. Liberty. Liberty.

[C]

This Mother's Day, celebrate the woman behind it all with Pandora Jewelry. Choose jewelry that reflects the love you share in the moments that matter most. Make it even more meaningful by personalizing your piece with an engraving in your own handwriting. Either a date, a name, or something unique to you. Because the best Mother's Day gift says more than I love you. It says, I see you. Find the perfect Mother's Day gift at your local Pandora store or [e-mail].