Man-eaters

[peter]

THE NJOMBE MAN-EATERS


a - Rinderpest

In the early thirties of the last century, in what's now Tanzania, there was an outbreak of rinderpest. As farmers wanted to protect domestic cattle, it was decided to erect a fence in order to prevent the disease from spreading south (into Rhodesia, now Zimbabwe). As the fence had a length of some 150 miles (...), it had to be maintained. Gamekeepers also had to kill all wild animals within 5 miles on either side of it (wild animals can spread the disease). 


b - The connection between witch-doctors and man-eaters 

When Rushby got the job, he also read reports about villagers killed by lions. Although many had been killed over the years, no action had been taken. As villagers had no means to protect themselves (they were not allowed to carry guns), witch doctors saw an opportunity. One of the results was that only very few villagers were prepared to talk to Rushby. This is why it took him a long time to get the information he was after.


c - The effect of a fence on territorial animals

When the fence was erected, herbivores moved to green pastures. Lions, territorial animals, didn't have the opportunity to follow them and the result was poverty. The starving lions had to find a solution and not a few of them concluded domestic cattle could be a decent chance. The problem was domestic animals lived in villages. Not every village had animals, but they most certainly had villagers and starvation is starvation.


d - Seasonal man-eaters

Starving big cats sometimes kill and eat villagers, but most drop the habit when conditions change in their favour. When wild animals move out of the territory of an adult big cat again, chances are the cat returns to humans. For this reason, seasonal man-eaters are difficult to identify. Females often are involved. When they carry cubs, they select a home unattractive for other cats. The main reason it is not attractive, is no food and (too) many humans.

Females with very young cubs living close to villages at times suffer from changing conditions and starvation. During the monsoon, when animals disperse, they sometimes have no option but to hunt domestic animals. As villagers protect their animals, chances are a big cat hunting them will be confronted by herd boys sooner or later. Not all big cats attack them, but some do and develop into man-eaters. 


e - Man-eating lions

Tigers are solitary animals, but lions live in small groups (adolescents) or prides (extended family groups). This means it's very likely they will pass on information. When a lion faced with starvation learns to hunt humans and decides to develop his abilities, chances are he or she won't be alone when a village is (re)visited. The result is the number of victims often rapidly grows. Another result is hunters have to identity and find more than one individual. This is the reason it usually takes a long time to take them out.

Experienced man-eaters, and elderly males in particular, know they are hunted. This is why they seldom return to their victims and this is why they cover many miles after a kill. They seldom roar and try to stay under the radar. Elusive animals. When the pressure is mounting, they disappear completely at times. Some quit the habit to stay undetected, only to continue when things cool down. A moderate continuation, that is. An experienced man-eater doesn't want to attract attention. Bad for health.

             
f - Specialists

Even in conditions that do not favour them, confirmed man-eaters seldom develop into specialists. It is estimated that the Njombe man-eaters killed and consumed about 1500 villagers between 1932 and 1947. As this comes down to about 100 villagers per year, it means the pride involved (Rusby shot 15 animals, if I remember correctly) had to rely on other food sources. The reason is a man-eater hunting humans only needs 50-100 villagers a year to stay healthy. This suggests that humans were not an important food source for the Njombe man-eaters. But 100 villagers a year and 1500 in about 15 years is impressive by any standard.

Specialists were and are the exception to the rule. Cats who develop in this direction always leave a clear trail. Another disadvantage is their moves can be predicted to a degree. This is why experienced hunters prefer specialists over opportunists. Although many books have been written about successful hunts, only few had a result. Kenneth Anderson wrote different stories about man-eaters who had been able to turn the tables. Werner Fend, hunting a tigress with an impressive record in Orissa, needed a lot of time to contact her. The tension and conditions affected his health. In order to stand a chance, you needed experience, fitness and mental stability. And luck. Lots of it.

Most man-eaters who died of old age were opportunists who hunted humans every now and then, albeit it for a long period of time. This was in particular true for regions where hunters were few and far between, but India also had a lot of seasoned and elusive man-eaters.     


g - Tanzania today

Outbreaks of man-eating are not uncommon in Tanzania. I've read more than one book written by those who hunted them and I also saw different documentaries. Every outbreak has a particular reason. Some of the researchers who spent years trying to find the causes published documents, but not all. 

Starvation isn't always the reason big cats decide to hunt humans. Amur tigers, facing difficult conditions most years, often struggle to make ends meet. Not a few adolescents and young adults are classified as 'problem animals'. Although many of them visit villages and hunt dogs, man-eaters are few and far between. It could be a result of a low densities (of both humans and big cats), but 'culture' could be a factor as well. Wild Amur tigers, apart from those who hunt them, never hunt humans. It definitely isn't a result of a different make-up, as they are prepared to take on even bears. It's also known that captive Amur tigers are far from harmless. 

Tanzania always had man-eaters. If you read the statistics, the conclusion is lions see humans as a source of food at times. Same for tigers in some parts of India and, in particular, Nepal. A professional hunter operating in Nepal wrote he often had to hunt man-eaters. So often, it interfered with his business. Northern India also often had man-eaters. Still has. 

So what is the reason some regions produced man-eaters, whereas others did not? Why is it the habit disappeared in some regions and not others? My guess is culture might have something to do with it. In my dictionary, culture isn't something that is developed by one species. It takes two to tango, meaning those interested in the causes of man-eating need to consider human culture as well.      

    
h - The documentary

Rusby wrote about his experiences. The documentary, which was broadcasted some years ago, is interesting. Recommended:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D-5bjWeCwmQ Reply