Man-eater

Man-eater is a colloquial term for an individual animal that preys on humans as a pattern of hunting behavior. This does not include the scavenging of corpses, a single attack born of opportunity or desperate hunger, or the incidental eating of a human that the animal has killed in self-defense.

Overview

Man-eating animals are a rare phenomenon, occurring in a variety of species. This behavior is often associated with larger predators like sharks, big cats, crocodiles, and bears, but can occur in virtually any species that is capable of killing a human. Man-eating behavior can be triggered by a number of factors, including the unavailability of usual prey, injury or old age among predators, habituation to humans, and defense of territory.

Notable man-eaters

There have been a number of notable man-eaters throughout history. These include the Tsavo man-eaters, a pair of man-eating lions in Kenya, and the Leopard of Rudraprayag, a man-eating leopard in India. Other notable man-eaters include the Champawat Tiger, the Panar Leopard, and the Sunderbans tigers.

In popular culture

Man-eaters have been a common theme in literature and film, often serving as the antagonists in survival or horror stories. Notable examples include the films Jaws and The Ghost and the Darkness, and the book Life of Pi.

See also

• List of fatal bear attacks in North America
• List of fatal shark attacks in Australia
• List of fatal, unprovoked shark attacks in the United States
• List of fatal cougar attacks in North America
• List of fatal alligator attacks in the United States