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Darwin Awards
2009 Slush Pile

This item was recently submitted by a reader.
Should I include it in the archive?
Vote to tell me what *you* think!

Imperial Cuisine

2009 Reader Submission
Pending Acceptance

1898 Tsavo Plain, Kenya

One of the greatest efforts of the British Empire in colonial East Africa was the building of the Uganda Railway, which stretched from the coastal town of Mombasa, through Nairobi, around the northern edge of Lake Victoria, and on to Kampala. The laborers were almost entirely foreign coolies, the majority of whom were from India, another British possession.

As the tracks began to stretch inland, the workers would camp along the tracks, enjoying the starry skies and comfortable night air. This worked well enough until the construction work reached the plain of Tsavo, which was at the midpoint between the coast and Nairobi. This area was (and still is) populated by lions who had decided that there was far too much work involved in bringing down emu or Thonpson gazelles. The lions soon developed a taste for something much easier to catch and they began a nightly ritual of devouring railway workers.

Staying generally aloof from all this were the British overseers whose tents were protected at night by rifle-toting guards. The luckiest of the group was a young engineer who was lucky enough to have a customized train car. While on the small side, it was very nice indeed, with its own kitchen, privy, work area, sleeping area and tidy little back proch. It also featured a set of screen windows, which allowed for a nice breeze.

One lion, it seems, had grown tired of Indian cuisine and decided to try the milder English fare. One night, the lion crept up in the darkness, leapt through one of the screen windows and pulled himself into the car. He seized the occupant, dragged him through the window and carried him off into the night. The remains of the body were found the following morning.

This train car, which was the same car used by Meryl Streep in the film, Out of Africa, can be viewed today at the National Railway Museum in Nairobi. Tourists can have a walk through and if they wish, take a seat on the very bed where the unsuspecting engineer once slept.

For those who are interested in the details of this ongoing massacre, the lion attacks of 1898 form the central theme of the book, The Lions of Tsavo. They were also fictionalized beyond recognition in the film, The Ghost and the Darkness.

I was a resident of Nairobi when Out of Africa was in production and one article in Kenya's leading newspaper, the Nation, described the process involved in procuring rolling stock for the railway scenes in the movie. According to the paper, when showing the above-mentioned railway car to the production crew, the manager of the museum described the incident of the lion and the railway engineer and, quite eager to please, he said that if they wanted a lion to carry off one of the actors, he would be happy to arrange it.

Submitted on 09/11/2009

Submitted by: Anonymous
Reference: Book: The Lions of Tsavo

Copyright © 2009 DarwinAwards.com

>> Moderator Scores <<

Bruce said:
Definitely Toss: No Self-Selection
Thanks for an interesting historical lesson and rather amusing story. Unfortunately I really don't see this as qualifying for an award - these people were well aware of the risks, had posted armed guards, etc. Because of this I find it hard to blame this one particular unfortunate victim with blatant stupidity.


Candi said:
Definitely Toss: No Self-Selection
If I remember this story correctly, at the time there was a pride of man-eating lions in the area; a crippled lioness had taught her cubs to go after the easy prey. (All were eventually shot.) I don't see how unusual circumstances like this, especially with all the precautions taken, qualify this poor fellow for a Darwin. Thanks anyway, and submit again!


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