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I've seen The Lions of Tsavo,on VHS,it's known as The Ghost and The Darkness.

Technically, any meat-eater is a potential man-eater seeing as humans are ,after all, meat!

Once a predator realises that humans can be hunted and killed easily they can become man-eaters.
Look at it from a lion's point-of-view, would you rather stalk a wildebeest, zebra or buffalo that is just as fast (if not faster) than the lion, no guarantee of a kill and can potentially kill a lion OR quickly grab an unsuspecting human?

There have been many reports of loads of animals attacking humans, sometimes not even eating them, there's been:
Lions
Tigers
Leopards
Wolves
Hyenas
Elephants
Hippo's
Buffalo
Rhino's
Dogs
Snow leopards
Bee's
Deer

Those are only the one's I've heard of and remember.

Proof that lions are maneaters?

If this were a post regarding wolves, there'd be an uproar by now.

Generally speaking, where humans outnumber any prey species and are in the vicinity of an apex predator, odds are in favor of humans being attacked and eaten. Why? Humans are easy prey. We're slow, we don't have natural defenses, and we're fairly stupid. And usually when there are reports of lions killing and consuming humans, usually the case is that the lion has been injured somehow and are prideless - remember, lions are ambush hunters, and if they can't ambush a wildebeest, they can't eat. But the odds of being killed and eaten by a lion are less than being killed by a hippo - which is actually the most dangerous mammal in Africa by statistics.

Personally, it's no reason for argument or hating lions. People kill more lions and other predators globally than the other way around.

Hmm very interesting but I'm not sure if this is true... it might be and it might not be.. who can say?

Hmm. I read this on National Geographic. Animals only go after humans for big reasons: territorial reasons, young, food, or if the animal is injured or too old for its usual prey, or, if the animal is just plain ornery or rabid. Perhaps, I say this because of most dogs, they were trained to be agressive.

In 'Born Free', they said the Father of the lion cubs was a maneater. They also said things like that are genetic, and once the bloodline has become accustomed to eating humans, that it is indeed, hereditary. Now, it can be recessive, or dominant. But, most experts say, once an animal has eaten a human, that you need to kill it. That's exactly what happened to the Tsavo lions, both male. They said it was because of bad teeth on both males.

Now, let's see; wildebeast, buffalo, most of the lions usual prey has thick hides. And we, have nothing but seven layers of skin. And no protection but guns. Most people are lousy with a gun if there's a wild animal ready to kill you, so, if you were an animal, with an injury or too old, wouldn't you go after an easy target?

Exactly Kodi. As far as I am concerned, I believe any and every animal has the potential to kill you - but it's far less likely to be killed by a non-human animal that you are of being killed by another human.

There's a series on the National Geographic Channel that covers animal attacks on humans. There was an episode on the lions of Tsavo as well as an episode of a hiker being killed by a bear, dragged a ways, then being partially devoured by wolves.

Country - isn't the movie you're talking about The Ghost and the Darkness starring Val Kilmer and Michael Douglas?

I wont deny that the Tsavo lion attacks/man eaters were true as are some of the over instances posted on this topic. However I believe that animal attacks on humans ore grossly exaggerated, and in some cases possibly made up to cover murders.

Whatever you think yo cant deny that humans have killed many many many times more animals than animals have killed humans.

Also no animal species (except maybe some biting insects such as mosquitoes) actively hunt out humans to attack or atack and eat humans. The exceptions are individual animals that are starving, sick, Rabid or maybe have brain damage.

Also of course animals may atack humans in defense of themselves mates, food, young etc.

As for domesticated animals, attacks may also be due to corruption by humans as well as he reasons above.

Personally, I must say that the impression some of us humans have on lions is completely wrong. Lions are NOT man-eaters by natural definition. (Man-eater, noun. Create that targets man as their prey with the specific desire to eat it)

The lions only attack humans in self-defense, or if they are in a starvation period. Either way, one would be foolish to approach lion territory without proper protection, as lions are very territorial. In conclusion, we are more of a threat to them, than they are to us. Humans have most definitely killed more of them, than they of us.


Who's to blame here?


EDIT: Extra definitions of "man-eater":

man-eater (plural man-eaters)

1. An animal that has a reputation for eating humans, such as the tiger or shark.
2. A cannibal.
3. (by extension, slang) A woman with a threatening attitude, often readily taking and discarding male romantic partners.