One of my favorite movies of all time! The Ghost and the Darkness is timeless and the story remains intriguing to this day . . . The rifles that killed the man-eaters of Tsavo
New evidence has been uncovered supporting claims that the lions depicted in The Ghost and the Darkness regularly ate humans.
Lt. Col. John Henry Patterson, the British engineer in charge of building a bridge across the River Tsavo who eventually shot and killed both lions, reported that the lions had killed and consumed, at least partially, 135 people, but that number has long been questioned.
A 2009 study of chemical traces in the lions’ teeth estimated that the two consumed about 35 people—but the lions still had human on their menu often enough for it to show up in their teeth about 120 years later.
But there was more to uncover . . .
The study also confirmed what has long bee suspected, that at least one of the Tsavo lions had a severe jaw injury, which likely prevented it from hunting their typical prey. They therefore resorted to the comparatively soft and easy-to-take-down humans, who were in abundance at the work camp for the bridge and railroad construction.
Regardless of the actual death tally for the Tsavo lions, we do know what kind of guns the real Patterson used while in Africa.
From his book, The Man-Eaters of Tsavo, which you can get as an e-book for free, Patterson says of his firearms, “the battery, to be sufficient for all needs, should consist of a .450 express, a .303 sporting rifle, and a 12-bore shot gun; and I should consider 250 rounds of .450 (50 hard and 200 soft), 300 rounds of .303 (100 hard and 200 soft), and 500 12-bore shot cartridges of say, the 6 and 8 sizes, sufficient for a three months’ trip. Leather bandoliers to carry 50 each of these different cartridges would also prove very useful.”
In modern terms, that translates to a .450 Nitro Express, a .303 British, and a 12 gauge shotgun.
Can someone please explain how someone could be so dumb as to put their head into the mouth of a crocodile? Oy vey . . . Malaysia legalises hunting deadly wild saltwater crocodiles
Officials in the eastern Malaysian Sarawak region are hoping that grim tales of limp fishermen’s corpses wedged between the jaws of giant crocodiles will soon be no more after granting 45 licences to hunters on Friday.
“Those who have obtained their licences from us can start harvesting crocodiles in the wild,” said Engkamat Lading, a local forestry department official.
Most of the permits will only allow hunters to sell crocodile meat locally, with three applicants for licences to export meat, skin or hatchlings under international rules governed by the Conventional on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Flora and Fauna, or CITES, according to the Borneo Post, a local newspaper that carried the official announcement.
The hunters will not get any official support beyond the granting of the licence, said Mr Lading, and the limited number of permits suggests that Sarawak will not yet be opening its jungles to troupes of croc-hunters on the lookout for a toothy trophy.
But Sarawak’s croc population is booming, leading to an increasing human toll.
Speaking of crocodiles and bad choices did you know that there was a real life Crocodile Dundee? The astounding yet tragic tale of the real-life Crocodile Dundee
Despite the popularity of the movie’s titular character, few people outside of Australia knew the story of the man who inspired the character: Rod Ansell.
A decade before the film exported the Australian Outback to the rest of the world, Rod Ansell grabbed headlines in his home country by surviving a 56-day ordeal in the bush. What followed were interviews with the press, book deals, TV coverage, and eventually that very popular movie.
Ansell never saw a dime from the movie though, and the fame that he never asked for eventually contributed to his unraveling and eventual death during a shootout with police in 1999.
Twenty-two years earlier, the incident that made Rod Ansell an unlikely celebrity in Australia occurred when the then 23-year-old set out alone on a fishing trip — though he would later admit that he was poaching crocodiles — and became stranded after his boat capsized in an isolated part of Western Australia.
Ansell had told his girlfriend that he’d be gone for a few months, so when he became lost there was no one to sound the alarm. Alone with only his two dogs, a rifle, knife, roll of bedding, and a few cans of food survive on, Ansell found himself isolated on a deserted stretch of the Fitzmaurice River.
More than 120 miles from the nearest human civilization, Ansell recalled hunting wild buffalo, sometimes drinking their blood to stave off dehydration, and sleeping in trees at night to avoid detection from large crocodiles and dingos.
Emaciated but otherwise healthy, he was eventually rescued when he heard horse bells and found three Aboriginal ranchers and their cattle manager.
Lonestar Boars with Todd Huey – This Texas LEO is an expert at exterminating hogs. Equipped with the best in night optics, firearms and hunting tactics, his youtube channel is a wealth of information. Also, I get to go hunting with him next month (woohoo).
There’s a dark side to hunting and it’s called night vision. Night hunting is for those hunters that are not morning people and prefer to sleep in. It also prevents hunting depravation depression disorder or HDDD during off-season. Or if you’re a romantic just think of it as a way to spice up your marriage with hunting (wink wink) . . . Best Night Vision Rifle Scopes for AR15 and other Tactical Rifles –
One of the most common questions we get asked by our customers is to suggest the best night vision riflescope for their tactical rifle setup. The answer to this question is not simple. There are many factors involved in this decision.
On this page we will outline several options and point out their strengths and weaknesses. Then you decide. No matter which scope you decide to buy for your AR15 type rifle, rest asured that you will receive the best possible service and lowest possible price when shopping with the Night Vision Guys.
Got hogs? In Texas, It’s not uncommon to kill multiple hogs at one time. These creatures must be exterminated but you may not feel like butchering 10 hogs in one night. Recently, I learned of a company —Wild Boar Meat Company— that will pick up your dead hogs. They turn the meat into food products including dog food. There are a few rules of course . . .
- Gut wild boar within 30 minutes of kill
- Heart, lungs, and liver remain on carcass; for images click here
- Get carcass to processing plant within 8 hours of kill