The 10 Most Notorious Man-Eating Predators in History

While many large carnivorous animals may attack humans if the opportunity arises, true "man-eaters"—creatures that specifically target human flesh above all else—are extremely rare. This list compiles some of the most infamous instances of man-eating predators recorded in history.

10. The Lions of Njombe

We begin with one of the most horrific cases of man-eating lions in history. This wasn’t the work of just one lion, but an entire pride that preferred human flesh to any other source of food. In 1932, near the town of Njombe in Tanzania, a large pride of lions embarked on a gruesome killing spree. According to local legend, the lions were under the influence of a tribal witch doctor named Matamula Mangera, who allegedly used them as instruments of revenge against his people after being ousted from his position. The villagers were so terrified of the man-eating lions that they wouldn't even speak of them, fearing that mentioning them would summon the beasts. Desperate, they pleaded with the tribal chief to reinstate the witch doctor, but he refused. The lions continued their rampage, eventually claiming over 1,500 lives (some say more than 2,000)—the deadliest lion attack in history, and one of the most severe cases of animal violence ever recorded. Ultimately, renowned hunter George Rushby intervened and killed 15 of the lions. The rest of the pride abandoned the area, putting an end to the nightmare. However, the local people remained convinced that the lions left only after the tribal chief agreed to restore Matamula Mangera to his former role.

9. Two-Toed Tom

Two-Toed Tom is a somewhat obscure man-eater, and it's difficult today to separate fact from fiction in his story. This massive male American alligator was said to roam the swamps along the Alabama-Florida border in the 1920s. He had lost all but two toes on his left ‘hand’, leaving distinctive tracks in the mud, earning him the nickname 'Two-Toed Tom' from locals. The legend goes that he lost his toes in an iron trap.

He measured 4.5 meters long, and locals believed he was no ordinary alligator, but rather a demon sent from Hell to haunt them. Tom gained notoriety for his attacks on cows, mules, and, notably, humans—particularly women who were taken while washing clothes by the water. Due to his repeated attacks, many farmers attempted to kill Tom, but bullets were ineffective, and all efforts to end his reign of terror failed. One farmer, who had been chasing Tom for 20 years without success, even resorted to using dynamite. He threw fifteen dynamite-laden buckets into the pond where Tom was rumored to live, hoping to eliminate the menace once and for all.

The explosion obliterated everything in the pond, but Tom was unharmed. Moments after the blast, the farmer and his son heard a terrifying scream and splashing noises coming from a nearby pond. They rushed to the scene and briefly saw Tom's glowing eyes before he vanished beneath the surface. The screams were later explained when the half-eaten body of the farmer’s young daughter washed ashore. While it's impossible to know whether this story is factual or just a folk tale, all evidence points to the fact that Two-Toed Tom was indeed real, and that he continued to haunt the swamps of Florida for many years. Locals often reported seeing a massive male alligator basking by the lake shores, and hearing his roars each morning. He was identified as Tom by the two-toed tracks he left in the sand and mud. What is truly astonishing is that although Tom was most famous in the 1920s, reports of a large alligator with two missing toes surfaced in the 1980s in the very same swamps. Numerous attempts to capture the legendary creature were made, but Two-Toed Tom was never caught.

8. Kesagake

As previously mentioned in an earlier list, the most dangerous wild animal in Japan is typically the Japanese Giant Hornet, which causes an average of 40 deaths per year. However, the largest and most formidable land predator in Japan is the Brown Bear, and arguably the most brutal bear attack in history occurred in the village of Sankebetsu, Hokkaido, in 1915. At the time, Sankebetsu was a pioneering settlement with a small population, located in a largely wild region inhabited by brown bears, including an enormous male known as Kesagake. Kesagake had previously been coming to Sankebetsu to feed on harvested corn, and when he became a nuisance, two villagers shot him, wounding him. They believed the bear would now fear humans and stay away from the crops, but they were wrong.

On December 9, 1915, Kesagake returned. He entered the home of the Ota family, where the farmer’s wife was alone with a baby she was caring for. The bear attacked and killed the baby before turning on the woman. She tried to defend herself by throwing firewood at the beast, but was eventually dragged into the forest by the bear. When people arrived at the now-empty house, they found blood covering the floor and walls. Thirty men set out into the forest, determined to kill the bear and recover the woman's remains. They tracked down Kesagake and shot him again, but they failed to kill him. The bear fled, and the woman’s partially eaten body was later found buried under the snow, where Kesagake had stored it for later consumption.

The bear eventually returned to the Ota family’s farm, prompting armed guards to be dispatched in pursuit. However, this left another village home unguarded, and Kesagake took advantage of the opportunity, attacking the Miyoke family’s house and mauling everyone inside. While some managed to escape, two children and a pregnant woman were killed. Witnesses claimed the woman begged for the life of her unborn child as the massive bear advanced, but it was in vain; Kesagake killed her too. When the guards realized their mistake and returned to the Miyoke house, they discovered the bodies of the two children, the woman, and her unborn child, all lying in a pool of blood on the floor. In just two days, Kesagake had claimed six lives. The villagers were terrified, and many of the guards fled, leaving their posts in fear.

A renowned bear hunter was informed of the attacks and confirmed that the culprit was indeed Kesagake, who had killed before the Sankebetsu incident. Initially, the hunter refused to participate in the hunt, but he eventually joined the group, and on December 14, he was the one who finally killed Kesagake. The bear stood nearly three meters tall and weighed 380 kilograms. Human remains were found in its stomach. The horrific events didn’t end there; some survivors succumbed to their injuries, and one of the survivors even drowned in a river. The region was soon deserted, becoming a ghost town. To this day, the Sankebetsu bear attack is considered the deadliest animal attack in Japan's history and one of the most brutal in recorded history.

7. The New Jersey Shark

The shark attacks took place in 1916, a time when little was known about sharks, and some scientists even claimed that sharks were harmless. This is one of the rare instances of true “man-eating sharks,” as most shark attacks tend to be isolated incidents. The attacks occurred along the New Jersey coast. The first victim was a young man named Charles Vansant, who was attacked while swimming in shallow water with a dog. Several witnesses, including his family, saw the attack, and a lifeguard rushed to rescue him. The shark, however, was relentless and seemed to follow the lifeguard to the shore, disappearing shortly afterward. The shark's bite severed Vansant’s femoral arteries, and one of his legs was stripped of flesh. He bled to death before he could reach the hospital. Five days later, another victim, Charles Bruder, was attacked by the same shark while swimming further from the shore. Initially, a witness reported seeing a red canoe capsized, but it turned out to be a giant pool of Bruder’s blood. The shark had bitten off both of his legs. Bruder was dragged back to the shore, where the sight of his mutilated body reportedly caused women to faint. Sadly, he had died by the time he was brought to the beach.

Despite reports of sharks being spotted in the area during the few days prior, scientists who were briefed on the attacks dismissed the idea of sharks being the culprits. Instead, they suggested the attackers were likely killer whales or sea turtles. However, the next series of attacks occurred not in the sea, but in a creek near Matawan. Once again, witnesses reported seeing a shark in the creek, but their warnings were ignored until July 12, when an eleven-year-old boy was attacked while swimming and pulled underwater. Several townspeople rushed to the creek, and Stanley Fisher dove in to recover the boy’s body, but he too was attacked by the shark and succumbed to his injuries. The final victim, another young boy, was attacked just 30 minutes after Fisher, but he survived, though severely injured.

On July 14, a young female Great White Shark was caught in the Raritan Bay near Matawan Creek, and human remains were allegedly found in her stomach. However, not everyone is convinced she was the true man-eater. Today, experts suggest that while the female Great White might have been behind the first two attacks, the Matawan Creek assaults were likely the work of a Bull Shark. Unlike the Great White, Bull Sharks can survive in fresh water and are an exceptionally aggressive species, sometimes considered even more dangerous. Regardless, this incident contributed to the Great White Shark’s fearsome reputation as a man-eater. Once it was confirmed that a shark was responsible for the Jersey attacks, a media frenzy erupted, causing widespread panic—an episode that remains unmatched in American history. These events inspired Peter Benchley’s iconic novel *Jaws*, which later became a blockbuster film directed by Steven Spielberg. Even today, many who have seen the movie remain fearful of entering the water, and it all began back in 1916.

6. The Bear of Mysore

Although I have already mentioned Sloth Bears before, it’s worth noting that while these creatures are known to attack humans in India—sometimes on a weekly basis—they rarely consume their victims. In fact, their diet mainly consists of termites and fruits, with a particular love for honey. However, there was one infamous Sloth Bear, known for its deadly rampage. According to various legends, the Mysore Killer Bear either sought revenge after a girl was rescued from him, or some versions claim he was driven to violence after losing his mate. Another theory suggests the bear had been injured by humans and became particularly aggressive, going on a killing spree in retaliation.

An alternative, more credible version suggests that the bear in question was a female whose cubs had been killed by humans. Fueled by grief and rage, she began hunting humans as a form of vengeance. Most experts now lean toward the theory that the bear was likely wounded by humans, leading to an abnormal aggression. The bear went on to attack over thirty people in the Mysore region, using its powerful claws and teeth to maim them. While some victims survived, they were often left with severe disfigurements. Of the 12 deaths, three were devoured, a behavior extremely rare for Sloth Bears. The bear was ultimately tracked down and killed by renowned big game hunter Kenneth Anderson after several attempts.

The Beast of Gevauden

The Beast of Gevauden is one of the most infamous and mysterious man-eaters in history. This creature, which some believe may have been two beasts, terrorized the French province of Gevauden from 1764 to 1767. Despite widespread belief that it was an unusually large wolf, the true nature of the Beast remains unclear. Descriptions painted it as a larger-than-life creature with reddish fur, a foul stench, and enormous teeth. The Beast’s first victim was a young girl in June 1764, and after that, it went on to kill 210 people, devouring 98 of them. The relentless nature of the attacks led some to believe the creature was a demonic force sent to punish the people, while others speculated that it was a loup-garou, or werewolf.

While most believe the 'Beast' was simply a large wolf, or possibly two wolves as some accounts suggest, the descriptions of the creature do not seem to align with a typical European wolf, which was well-known and abundant at the time. Some experts speculate that the Beast could have been a hyena, potentially escaped from a menagerie. Although hyenas are often regarded as cowardly scavengers, they are actually formidable predators and frequently attack humans in parts of Africa and Asia. For instance, a man-eating hyena recently terrorized Malawi, forcing people to flee. Like the Beast of Gevauden, hyenas possess powerful teeth, a strong odor, and are often larger and more powerful than ordinary wolves.

The Beast managed to evade capture by hunters and even the army, showcasing the cunning typically attributed to man-eaters. Ultimately, the creature was killed in 1767 by local hunter Jean Chastel. According to legend, Chastel used a silver bullet to slay the beast, though this is likely just a myth. When the creature’s stomach was examined, Chastel found the remains of its last human victims, confirming it as a notorious man-eater.

The Ghost and the Darkness

In 1898, British engineers began constructing a railway bridge over the Tsavo River in Kenya. Over the course of the next nine months, two man-eating lions, now known to be brothers, began hunting the railway workers. These lions were enormous, measuring over three meters long, and, like many lions from the Tsavo region, they were maneless. Initially, the lions would drag their victims away from their tents to feast on them in the bush, but soon they grew so bold that they began eating their prey just yards from the workers' tents. Their sheer size, ferocity, and cunning were so extraordinary that many local people believed they were not lions at all, but demons or the reincarnations of ancient kings seeking to repel the British invaders. This belief in deceased kings being reborn as lions was common in Eastern Africa. The two lions came to be known as The Ghost and The Darkness, and the workers were so terrified that they fled in droves, halting the railway’s construction. No one wanted to become the next victim of the 'devil lions.'

John Henry Patterson, the Chief Engineer overseeing the railway project, eventually decided the only way to stop the man-eating lions was to kill them. He came dangerously close to becoming their next victim, but he managed to shoot the first lion in December of 1899, and two weeks later, he killed the second one. By this time, the lions had claimed 140 lives. Patterson also discovered their lair—a cave by the Tsavo River, filled with human remains, clothes, and ornaments. This cave still exists today, and although many bones have been exhumed, some are said to remain. Recent claims suggest that the lions only consumed around 35 of their victims, but this doesn’t mean they didn’t kill many others, as man-eaters often kill even when not hungry. Today, the pelts of the Tsavo lions are on display at the Field Museum in Chicago, though Kenyan authorities have expressed interest in creating a museum dedicated entirely to them, in which case the Ghost and the Darkness may one day return to Tsavo.

Gustave

All the man-eaters on this list are now gone, their killing sprees relegated to terrifying memories. All, that is, except for one. In the war-torn country of Burundi, lives the greatest man-eater of modern times: Gustave, a male Nile crocodile measuring six meters in length and weighing around one ton. He is the largest living Nile crocodile and the biggest individual predator in all of Africa. According to locals and Patrice Faye, a French naturalist who has spent years trying to capture him, Gustave has killed over 300 people. Despite still being active, Gustave has become a legend, with his story even inspiring a poorly received film.

Locals believe Gustave kills not only for sustenance but for sheer enjoyment. They claim that he kills multiple people in each attack, then disappears for months or even years, only to reappear in another location to continue his killing spree. His appetite is said to be monstrous, with rumors claiming he once killed and devoured a full-grown male hippopotamus—a dangerous and powerful animal that most crocodiles avoid. Gustave’s body is covered in scars from knives, spears, and even firearms. A dark mark on his head is the only visible evidence of a bullet wound, which was supposed to end his reign of terror. Despite numerous attempts by hunters and even a group of armed soldiers, Gustave remains undefeated.

Patrice Faye himself attempted to capture Gustave by constructing a massive underwater trap. Though the crocodile did make an appearance, he never approached the cage, instead swimming around it as if to mock his would-be captors. At over 60 years old, Gustave has likely become too cunning and experienced to be outsmarted. It seems probable that he will continue his deadly ways and may soon claim the title of the most prolific man-eater. Over time, Faye's perspective has changed; rather than seeking to kill Gustave, he now wishes to protect him from human retaliation. By capturing Gustave alive and placing him in a secure enclosure, Faye hopes to preserve both human lives and the man-eater himself, and potentially use him for the conservation of the Nile crocodile species. An enclosure has already been built in Ruzizi National Park, Burundi, awaiting the capture of the greatest man-eater of our time.

The Champawat Tigress

In the late 19th century, a region in Nepal near the Himalayas was plagued by one of the most infamous and deadly man-eaters of all time. The Bengal tigress, responsible for ambushing dozens of men, women, and children in the jungle, had been shot by a hunter. Though she survived, the bullet had shattered two of her fangs, leaving her in constant pain and unable to hunt her usual prey. As a result, she turned to hunting humans, becoming an adam khor, or man-eater. The attacks were so frequent and brutal that the locals believed they were the work of demons or divine punishment.

The tigress's victim count quickly rose to 200. Despite sending hunters after her, the tigress was incredibly elusive, rarely seen. Eventually, the Nepalese government deemed the situation serious enough to deploy the National Army to hunt the beast. This was one of the rare occasions in history, along with the case of the Gevauden Beast, where the army was called in to deal with a man-eater. Despite their efforts, they failed to capture her. The tigress, however, was eventually forced to leave her territory and crossed into India, where she continued her killing spree in the Champawat region. With each kill, she became bolder and more fearless, even attacking in broad daylight and roaming near villages. People were too terrified to leave their homes, hearing her terrifying roars echoing through the forest. Like most man-eaters, her reign eventually ended when one man decided to confront her. That man was Jim Corbett, who would later become one of the foremost advocates for tiger conservation.

Corbett later recounted how he tracked the tigress by following the gruesome trail of blood and dismembered limbs left by her most recent victim, a young girl. Even Corbett, known for his bravery, was horrified by the sight. He shot the tigress in 1911, and the local people, deeply relieved and thankful, even bestowed upon him the title of 'sadhu,' meaning holy man. By then, the tigress had claimed the lives of 436 humans, a number that likely doesn’t include the countless others who were never reported. This makes her the most prolific individual man-eater in history. In fact, her body count surpasses even the most notorious human serial killers (excluding cases of genocide). The only serial killer said to rival her was Erzebet Bathory, a notorious Hungarian countess who, ironically, was also called the 'Tigress of Csejte.'

The Panar Leopard

Although leopards are the smallest of the true big cats, they are no less deadly than their larger relatives. In fact, the leopard may be the oldest predator we know of; bite marks from leopards have been found on the fossilized bones of early human ancestors, suggesting that these cats were preying on us over three million years ago. While any adult leopard might see humans as prey under the right circumstances, only a few actually become man-eaters, choosing human flesh over other food sources. The most deadly man-eating leopard in history was the Panar leopard, who roamed the Kumaon region of India in the early 20th century. Active mainly in the Panar province, this male leopard claimed the lives of over 400 people, making it the second most prolific man-eater in recorded history, only behind the Champawat Tigress.

It is believed that the Panar leopard had been wounded by a hunter, leaving him unable to hunt wild prey. In order to survive, he turned to human flesh. He was eventually killed by the famous hunter and conservationist, Jim Corbett, in 1910. While the Panar leopard is the most infamous, other man-eating leopards were also feared. The Kahani man-eater, for instance, killed over 200 people, and the Rudraprayag man-eater, who terrorized pilgrims on their way to a Hindu shrine, killed 125 before he too was hunted down by Corbett. Known for their smaller size, agility, and cunning, leopards were considered by big-game hunters to be among the deadliest animals. One hunter famously said, 'If the leopard was the size of a lion, it would be ten times more dangerous.'