The Lions of Tsavo: exploring the legacy of Africa's notorious man-eaters

Patterson's book synthesises field biology, museum forensics, and historical records surrounding the 1898 Tsavo man-eating lions that halted railway construction over the Tsavo River. It examines competing explanations for the predation, including dental injuries, prey scarcity following rinderpest and drought, scavenging of human remains along caravan routes, and the maneless social structure of Tsavo lions. The book frames the events as a case study in how ecological stress and individual circumstance can drive big cats toward humans. It remains a widely cited popular-science account that grounds the Tsavo legend in evidence while separating documented fact from inflated folklore.