22/06/2023
WHY DONT LION EAT HUMANS
Well, um…
Lions kill an estimated 200 people per year in Africa.
Most often this happens when the lion is ill or injured, and unable to hunt its usual prey, or said prey has been depleted due to human activity. The latter is becoming more frequent as Africa’s human population grows and encroaches onto lion habitat.
However, sometimes they’re just being opportunistic. It’s kind of hard not to when people are being stupid— like an American woman on safari in South Africa in 2015, who rolled her windows down to take pictures of a lioness. The big cat took advantage of the opening, and tragedy ensued.
Imagine this WITHOUT the windows’ protection!
A few more recent examples of deadly encounters from the headlines:
A 27-year-old man at Marataba Safari Lodge in South Africa was killed by lions in 2021.
In 2020 in Tanzania, the parents of three children let them go into the forest by themselves to search for lost cattle. It didn’t end well.
A lion in Tanzania entered a French man’s tent in 2015 and tore off his arm.
You may have also heard about the stories of lions that have become full-on-man-eaters. One of the most terrifying examples was a pride of lions in Njombe, Tanzania, who from 1932 to 1947 killed no less than 1,500 people. It’s thought that they originally targeted us due to competition, and after realizing how tasty we were, developed a culture of man-eating.
There was also Kenya’s infamous Tsavo man-eaters. In 1898, around 30 people were killed by a pair of lion brothers over a nine-month period. The frequent lion attacks actually halted construction on the Kenya Uganda railway, since the cats kept picking off workers. It is believed this may be because the lions had dental problems, or because their usual prey had been depleted.
So, when you’re in lion country, practicing proper safety is very important. You should stay in the car and keep your windows rolled up. Don’t walk around at night in areas where lions and other dangerous wildlife occur. When on safari, stick with the tour guides who know what they’re doing. Also, research a safari company beforehand!
Should you encounter a lion, don’t run. It’ll trigger their prey drive and they’re way faster than you— you’re pretty much sentencing yourself to death if you flee from a big cat. Instead, stand your ground. Wave your arms in the air and make lots of noise, perhaps while slowly backing away. Pepper spray can also be useful in getting the lion to back off.
If it goes in for the kill, punch and kick, aiming for the head and eyes. This might sound like it would be pretty useless, but there are many documented records of people fending off lion attacks this way.
This man survived a lion attack after punching it in the face!
In short, lions are majestic predators, and we should protect them and their habitat.
Just remember that to them, you’re nothing but 150 pounds of fresh monkey meat.
