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Cosmos

Cosmos

Kenya’s “man-eater” lions of the 19th century confirmed using DNA

Cosmos
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87% Informative

Two lions were killed in 1898 by Lieutenant-Colonel John Henry Patterson .

They are thought to have eaten dozens of people, including workers on the Kenya - Uganda railway.

US and Kenyan scientists analysed hairs collected from between the teeth of the pair of big cats.

The research may offer insight into human-lion interactions today and hold promise for future studies on even older samples.