Two were African lions that, between them in 1898, killed 35 people in Kenya and devoured parts of their bodies before they were hunted and killed, according to Science Magazine. The third was a lion from Zambia which had also eaten humans before it died and its bones were donated to the Field Museum.
Tsavo is a region of Kenya with a history of two male lions that became man-eaters, killing and eating over 100 people – the highest ever number of human deaths recorded by lions. Unsurprisingly these two lions became known as Tsavo's man-eating lions.
Lions are extremely accomplished predators and adept hunters. For them, humans count as prey.
It's all about predator-prey dynamics: A lion wouldn't think twice about going after an individual human, but a motor vehicle is just so much larger than any animal a lion would usually attack as prey (or perceive as a threat it could handle).
No, an unarmed human could not beat a lion in a fight.
Even if a human came upon a sleeping lion, their chances of killing it would be laughably small. Humans aren't going to knock out a lion with a kick or punch in one shot. They're also not going to strangle a lion to death.
They are both highly aggressive creatures, so a prolonged fight could be brutal. Even then, the lion would probably come out on top, making up for its relative lack of stamina with sheer power. A lion has a good chance of killing a gorilla in a one-on-one fight.
“It's likely to anger the lion and result in death.” That's probably because a lion, which can weigh up to 550 pounds, will barely feel your punch. Nkabeng Maruping-Mzileni, a regional ecologist at South African National Parks, agreed, explaining that there's no chance of taking down a lion without a weapon.
Are lions afraid of humans? Lions have a healthy fear of humans, especially during the daylight hours and when we are in groups. This fear is based on our persecution of lions for thousands of years for a few reasons.
Animals with no natural predators are called apex predators, because they sit at the top (or apex) of the food chain. The list is indefinite, but it includes lions, grizzly bears, crocodiles, giant constrictor snakes, wolves, sharks, electric eels, giant jellyfish, killer whales, polar bears, and arguably, humans.
#1 Nile Crocodile
The Nile crocodile gets the number one spot because it is the only animal on the list to consider humans a regular part of its diet. It's just as likely to grab a human that strays too close to the water's edge as it would a wildebeest. Hundreds of people are killed by the Nile crocodile every year.
The Nile crocodile is the most aggressive animal in the world mostly because it considers humans a “regular part of its diet” according to a-z-animals.com. The animal can weigh up to 1,650 pounds and can be found in 26 countries in sub-Saharan Africa.
While larger animals like sharks or hippos may seem a likely culprit, the animal that kills the most humans per year is actually the mosquito.
The Mapogo lions are probably the most well-known lion coalitions in recent history. They became famous for their brutal and ruthless tactics, and how quickly they took over their new territory.
The Tsavo Man-Eaters were a pair of man-eating male lions in the Tsavo region of Kenya, which were responsible for the deaths of many construction workers on the Kenya-Uganda Railway between March and December 1898. The lion pair was said to have killed 135 people.
They conclude that while one on one, a tiger would certainly best a lion, in the wild the lion pride could hold their own against the solitary tiger.
Rottnest Island is known worldwide to be the home of the happiest animal on Earth – the Quokka (Setonix brachyurus). Close relatives of Wallabies, these tiny animals are found all over Rottnest Island, where their survival is largely attributed to the exclusion of any natural predators.
One of the ocean's most feared predators – the tiger shark—has been revealed as a relaxed and sometimes lazy hunter by scientists studying their behaviour.
Honey badgers are small, but aren't afraid to take on larger animals. Honey badgers are often called the fiercest animal on the planet.
Lions have few predators to fear other than humans. A very young or sickly lion might fall prey to hyenas. Cubs may be attacked and eaten by adult male lions. Lions are most threatened by humans who hunt them and encroach on their habitat.
Give them a way to escape. Do not run from a lion. Running may stimulate a mountain lion's instinct to chase. Instead, stand and face the animal.
If you encounter an aggressive lion, stare him down. But not a leopard; avoid his gaze at all costs. In both cases, back away slowly; don't run.
Never attempt to “play dead,” since the cat is not trying to scare you away but is hunting you as a prey animal. Very few people can actually defeat a mountain lion by hand, but you can hopefully make it decide to go look for an easier meal.
On smaller deer like yearlings and fawns mountain lions may simply crush the back of the skull with a powerful bite, but the skull of older animals and those with antlers is often too tough and bony to allow this.