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111-512: The Tsavo Man-Eaters were a pair of large man-eating male lions in the Tsavo region of Kenya , which were responsible for the deaths of many construction workers on the Kenya-Uganda Railway between March and December 1898. The lion pair was said to have killed dozens of people, with some early estimates reaching over a hundred deaths. While the terrors of man-eating lions were not new in

222-581: A 10-year-old boy was swallowed whole by a 6-metre-long (20 ft) African rock python, but cases like these are empirically observed and recorded but not entirely confirmed unlike the cases mentioned above. In Australia there has been one recorded case of an amethystine python attempting to consume an adult human. Large Komodo dragons are the only known lizard species to occasionally attack and consume humans. Because they live on remote islands, attacks are infrequent and may go unreported. Despite their large size, attacks on people are often unsuccessful and

333-575: A 28-year-old brown bear on October 5, 2003. The bear's stomach was later found to contain human remains and clothing. In July 2008, dozens of starving brown bears killed two geologists working at a salmon hatchery in Kamchatka . After the partially eaten remains of the two workers were discovered, authorities responded by dispatching hunters to cull or disperse the bears. While American black bears rarely attack people, lone, predatory black bears are responsible for most fatal black bear attacks on humans in

444-492: A constitutional anomaly in the 21st century. Both contend that such powers lack direct democratic legitimacy due to not being regulated by parliamentary statutes and raise concerns over accountability. Elliot and Thomas have pointed out that judicial intervention in cases such as Miller I and Miller II , where the Supreme Court exercised scrutiny over the use of prerogative powers by the government to prorogue parliament during

555-422: A dingo taking Azaria out of their tent when she and her family were out on a camping trip to Uluru . In 2019, a father saved his 14-month-old child from a dingo which had dragged it away. Although dogs have many of the characteristics of bears and big cats, they are unlikely to act as man-eaters themselves. More often humans can be bitten to death by packs of stray dogs, but not eaten. Such attacks often occur in

666-418: A great white shark attacking a human on a surfboard possibly because it resembles its favoured prey, a seal). Of more than 568 shark species , only four have been involved in a significant number of fatal unprovoked attacks on humans: the great white shark , tiger shark , bull shark , and the oceanic whitetip shark . These sharks, being large, powerful predators, may sometimes attack and kill humans; it

777-401: A herd of feral hogs in rural Texas. She died due to exsanguination (i.e. bled to death) from bite wounds. Wild pigs are opportunistic omnivores that can function as aggressive predators. Being scavengers, wild pigs have been specifically documented to feed on human corpses or remains in post-combat, rural accident (e.g., plane crash) and crime (e.g., homicide) situations. In addition, there

888-408: A last resort. Eating humans was probably an alternative to hunting or scavenging due to dental disease and/or a limited number of prey. A 2017 study by Bruce Patterson found that one of the lions had an infection at the root of his canine tooth, making it hard for that particular lion to hunt. Lions typically use their jaws to grab prey like zebras and wildebeests and suffocate them. Patterson's book

999-467: A limited number have been confirmed. Various species of pythons are the most commonly recorded perpetrators. In 2017 in Indonesia, an adult male was discovered inside a 7-metre-long (23 ft) python. On 14 June 2018 a 54-year-old woman named Wa Tiba was eaten by a reticulated python , which had slithered into her garden at her home. A 45-year-old woman farmer in Indonesia, who had been missing since

1110-496: A menace in some areas; one leopard in India killed over 200 people. Jim Corbett was noted to have stated that unlike tigers, which usually became man-eaters because of infirmity, leopards more commonly did so after scavenging on human corpses. In the area that Corbett knew well, dead people are usually cremated completely, but when there is a bad disease epidemic, the death rate outruns the supply of cremation pyre wood and people burn

1221-683: A pair and dental injuries reported in one of the lions, a cause commonly attributed to big cats turning to humans as prey. As part of the construction of a railway linking Uganda with the Indian Ocean at Kilindini Harbour , in March 1898, the British started building a railway bridge over the Tsavo River in Kenya. The building site consisted of several camps spread over an area of 8 miles (13 km), accommodating

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1332-471: A person, although by 2 years of age most black bears have the physical capacity to kill a person." Though usually shy and cautious animals, Asian black bears are more aggressive toward humans than the brown bears of Eurasia. In some areas of India and Burma , sloth bears are more feared than tigers, due to their unpredictable temperament. Although hyenas readily feed upon human corpses, they are generally very wary of humans and less dangerous than

1443-484: A time would enter the inhabited areas and seize victims, but later, they became more brazen, entering together and each seizing a victim. As the attacks mounted, hundreds of workers fled from Tsavo, halting construction on the bridge. At this point, colonial officials began to intervene. According to Patterson, even the District Officer, Mr. Whitehead, narrowly escaped being killed by one of the lions after arriving at

1554-441: A vote of no confidence, they are often expected to resign from office or request the monarch dissolve parliament to call a general election. The prime minister acts as the principal advisor to the monarch, who is the head of state, a capacity that has evolved gradually during the history of the office. Bagehot says that despite the monarch holding certain theoretical executive powers, in practice, these powers are often executed upon

1665-504: A witness account of one attack (in which the victim, a seven-year-old boy, survived and the eagle was killed), and the discovery of part of a human child skull in a nest. This would make it the only living bird known to prey on humans, although other birds such as ostriches and cassowaries have killed humans in self-defense and a lammergeier might have killed the ancient Greek playwright Aeschylus by accident. Various large raptors like golden eagles are reported attacking humans, but it

1776-526: Is a learned behavior and they do not generally recognize humans as prey. Attacks on people, livestock, and pets may occur when a puma habituates to humans or is in a condition of severe starvation. Attacks are most frequent during late spring and summer, when juvenile cougars leave their mothers and search for new territory. Unlike other big cat man-eaters, cougars do not kill humans as a result of old age or food preference, but in defense of their territory. Such behavior has been documented in hunts by humans, where

1887-513: Is able to wield considerable power in the passing of legislation through their ability to manage party discipline and cohesion in voting patterns. Bogdanor states that this largely depends upon the prime minister being the leader of the largest party in the Commons, which can pass legislation without any or little resistance if they can command the confidence of the House. This aspect of prime ministerial power

1998-433: Is at least one instance on record of a wild pig in southern France that became a confirmed repeated man-eater. In four of the attacks reviewed in a study, the wild pig either partially or mostly consumed the remains of the human victim that had been fatally injured by that animal in the attack. Three of the four attacks were explicitly characterized by the investigating authorities as being predatory. In two additional attacks,

2109-413: Is authorised with broader support from and within the government. The prime minister must constantly maintain the confidence of the House of Commons because, as Bagehot notes, the power of the prime minister derives from their ability to command a majority in the House in order to pass legislation and continue the functions of government. If a prime minister loses the confidence of the House, which occurs in

2220-547: Is based on an uncodified constitution , meaning that it is not set out in any single document. The British constitution consists of many documents, and most importantly for the evolution of the office of the prime minister, it is based on customs known as constitutional conventions that became accepted practice. In 1928, Prime Minister H. H. Asquith described this characteristic of the British constitution in his memoirs: In this country we live ... under an unwritten Constitution. It

2331-540: Is believed to have been killed by an eagle-like bird similar to the crowned eagle. The extinct Haast's eagle may have preyed on humans in New Zealand , and this conclusion would be consistent with Maori folklore . Leptoptilos robustus might have preyed on both Homo floresiensis and anatomically modern humans, and the Malagasy crowned eagle , teratorns , Woodward's eagle and Caracara major are similar in size to

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2442-530: Is corroborated by accounts demonstrating that wolves in protected areas are more likely to show boldness toward humans than ones in areas where they are actively hunted. Attacks on humans by dingoes are rare, with only two recorded fatalities in Australia. Dingoes are normally shy of humans and avoid encounters with them. The most famous record of a dingo attack was the 1980 disappearance of nine-week-old Azaria Chamberlain . Her parents reported that they both saw

2553-597: Is home to approximately 600 royal Bengal tigers who before modern times used to "regularly kill 50 or 60 people a year". In 2008, a loss of habitat due to the Cyclone Sidr led to an increase in the number of attacks on humans in the Indian side of the Sundarbans, as tigers were crossing over to the Indian side from Bangladesh. A theory promoted to explain this increase in attacks suggests that, since tigers drink fresh water ,

2664-467: Is informal and often carried out by the office of Whips, who makes sure that MPs remain loyal and vote on the government line. The political scientist Anthony King said that the prime minister's influence over legislation is further solidified through their ability to shape policy before it reaches parliament. King further argued that the shaping of legislation, on many occasions, involves the collaborative efforts of cabinet ministers and civil servants, but

2775-587: Is often through party discipline and having a reliable majority of MPs who vote in support of the government's priorities. Another essential part of the parliamentary powers possessed by the prime minister is determining the composition of the Cabinet. According to Professor Robert Hazell, the prime minister not only chooses cabinet members but also dictates the collective decision-making process of members as well. The prime minister most often would chair cabinet meetings and may determine their frequency, thereby controlling

2886-464: Is the more dangerous of the two species, being larger, more predatory, and more aggressive than the striped hyena. The brown hyena and aardwolf are not known to prey on humans. Pigs are competent predators and can kill and eat helpless humans unable to escape them. Numerous animal trials in the Middle Ages involved pigs accused of eating children. In 2019, a woman was attacked and killed by

2997-711: Is true that we have on the Statute-book great instruments like Magna Carta, the Petition of Right, and the Bill of Rights which define and secure many of our rights and privileges; but the great bulk of our constitutional liberties and ... our constitutional practices do not derive their validity and sanction from any Bill which has received the formal assent of the King, Lords and Commons. They rest on usage, custom, convention, often of slow growth in their early stages, not always uniform, but which in

3108-513: Is unclear if they intend to eat them or if they have ever been successful in killing one. A series of incidents in which a martial eagle attacked and killed one human child as well as injuring two others was recorded in Ethiopia in 2019. Some fossil evidence indicates large birds of prey occasionally preyed on prehistoric hominids. The Taung Child , an Australopithecus africanus found in Africa,

3219-458: Is worth noting that they have all been filmed in open water by unprotected divers. One of the most notorious and well known incidents of shark predation came with the sinking of the USS Indianapolis (CA-35) , where sharks believed to be oceanic whitetips fed on an estimated 150 of the survivors who were stranded for days. More recently, on 8 June 2023, due to the popularity of social media

3330-494: The 2024 general election . The position of prime minister was not created; it evolved slowly and organically over three hundred years due to numerous Acts of Parliament , political developments, and accidents of history. The office is therefore best understood from a historical perspective. The origins of the position are found in constitutional changes that occurred during the Revolutionary Settlement (1688–1720) and

3441-481: The Field Museum of Natural History in 1924 for $ 5,000. The skins arrived at the museum in very poor condition. The lions were reconstructed and are now on permanent display, along with their skulls. In 2001, a review of causes for man-eating behaviour among lions revealed that the proposed human toll of 100 or more was most likely an exaggeration and that the more likely death toll was 28–31 victims. This reduced total

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3552-448: The G7 and G20 . 58 people (55 men and 3 women) have served as prime minister, the first of whom was Robert Walpole taking office on 3 April 1721. The longest-serving prime minister was also Walpole, who served over 20 years, and the shortest-serving was Liz Truss , who served seven weeks. The current prime minister is Keir Starmer , who succeeded Rishi Sunak on 5 July 2024, following

3663-746: The Humboldt squid , are said to attack and eat humans. Individual man-eater death tolls include: Prime Minister of the United Kingdom The prime minister of the United Kingdom is the head of government of the United Kingdom . The prime minister advises the sovereign on the exercise of much of the royal prerogative , chairs the Cabinet , and selects its ministers . As modern prime ministers hold office by virtue of their ability to command

3774-549: The United Kingdom's withdrawal from the European Union , was successful in keeping check over the authority of both the prime minister and the government. The evolving usage of prerogative powers also has signalled tension between tradition and accountability. Authors Paul Craig and Adam Tomkins state that the absence of a written constitution gives a prime minister greater leeway in employing their given prerogative powers without limits that in turn would create uncertainty although

3885-400: The advice of the prime minister, the sovereign exercises many statutory and prerogative powers, including high judicial, political, official and Church of England ecclesiastical appointments; the conferral of peerages and some knighthoods, decorations and other important honours. Bagehot identifies the prime minister as the leader of the "efficient" part of government that functions within

3996-563: The fatal tiger shark attack on Vladmir Popov off the coast of Hurghada , Egypt, in the Red Sea has also gained significant notoriety as almost the entire attack was caught on film before going viral. Attacks by piranhas resulting in deaths have occurred in the Amazon basin . In 2011, a drunk 18-year-old boy was attacked and killed in Rosario del Yata, Bolivia . In 2012, a five-year-old Brazilian girl

4107-615: The green anaconda , the African rock python , and the Burmese python. In the Philippines , more than a quarter of Aeta men (a modern forest-dwelling hunter-gatherer group) have reported surviving reticulated python predation attempts. Pythons are nonvenomous ambush predators, and both the Aeta and pythons hunt deer, wild pigs, and monkeys, making them competitors and prey. In South Africa in 2002,

4218-400: The salinity of the area waters serve as a destabilizing factor in the diet and life of tigers of Sundarbans, keeping them in constant discomfort and making them extremely aggressive. Other theories include the sharing of their habitat with humans and the consumption of human corpses during floods. Man-eating lions have been recorded to actively enter human villages at night as well as during

4329-437: The "machinery of government" that allows them to guide legislation that align with their party's political and ideological priorities. Brazier argues that the legislative power of the prime minister has greatly expanded following the post-war period and that as a result, the prime minister now directly authorises supervision over government bills and has a consequential role in the introduction of legislation. The prime minister

4440-507: The 'crouching' mount, killed on 29 December 1898. Recent studies on the isotopic signature analysis of Δ13C and Nitrogen-15 in their bone collagen and hair keratin were published in 2009. Using realistic assumptions on the consumable tissue per victim, lion energetic needs, and their assimilation efficiencies, researchers compared the man-eaters' Δ13C signatures to various reference standards: Tsavo lions with normal (wildlife) diets, grazers, and browsers from Tsavo East and Tsavo West, and

4551-590: The British public perception, the Tsavo Man-Eaters became one of the most notorious instances of dangers posed to Indian and native African workers of the Uganda Railway . They were eventually killed by Lieutenant-Colonel John Henry Patterson , who wrote his account of his hunting experience in a semi-biography The Man-eaters of Tsavo . Today, the Tsavo Man-Eaters are the most widely studied man-eating pantherine cats given their behavior of hunting humans as

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4662-440: The British system, there is a unity of powers rather than separation . Walter Bagehot described the office of prime minister as the "keystone of the Cabinet arch" that maintained while the prime minister can hold significant power over the executive, it is often exercised collectively through the Cabinet (Government). Ministerial responsibility is also an aspect of a prime minister's executive authority. The prime minister leads

4773-510: The Haast's eagle, implying that they similarly could pose a threat to a human being. Contrary to popular belief, only a limited number of shark species are known to pose a serious threat to humans. The species that are most dangerous can be indiscriminate and will take any potential meal they happen to come across (as an oceanic whitetip might eat a person floating in the water after a shipwreck), or may bite out of curiosity or mistaken identity (as with

4884-552: The Nile crocodile within sub-Saharan Africa . Because many relatively healthy populations of Nile crocodiles occur in East Africa, their proximity to people living in poverty and/or without infrastructure has made it likely that the Nile crocodile is responsible for more attacks on humans than all other species combined. One notorious man-eating crocodilian was Gustave . In Australia, crocodiles have also been responsible for several deaths in

4995-452: The Tsavo train depot in the evening. However, his assistant, Abdullah, was killed, while Whitehead escaped with four claw lacerations running down his back. Eventually, other officials arrived, with a reinforcement of around twenty armed Sepoys to assist in the hunt. Patterson set traps and tried several times to ambush the lions at night from a tree. After repeated unsuccessful attempts, he shot

5106-480: The United States and Canada, according to a study from 2011. Unlike female bears, motivated to attack humans to protect cubs, male black bears may display predatory behavior toward humans and view them as a potential food source. The same study cautioned that the chances of a black bear attacking a human were small, writing, "Each year, millions of interactions between people and black bears occur without any injury to

5217-438: The abilities to declare war, negotiate treaties and deploy the armed forces have historically been part of the monarch's royal authority but have slowly evolved into a function of the office of prime minister. Despite this, the exercise of the prime minister's prerogative powers in these matters is under the oversight of parliament. It is often by convention that a prime minister must seek the approval of parliament before committing

5328-415: The advice and recommendation of the prime minister and the cabinet. This is considered a major principle of the "unity of powers" that exists within a constitutional monarchy in which the monarch "reigns but does not rule". According to Brazier, the prime minister advises the monarch on matters such as the dissolution of parliament and appointments to the House of Lords, but these decisions are often made with

5439-655: The agenda for policy and steering decisions in their preferred direction. Additionally, the prime minister can exercise considerable control over parliamentary time. Authors Alexander Horne and Gavin Drewry state that the prime minister uses this power through the Leader of the House of Commons , by which they are able to allocate time for government bills and often ensuring access to this time over private members' bills. The prime minister's parliamentary powers also extend to foreign relations. Contemporary historian Anthony Seldon says that

5550-408: The big cats whose territory overlaps with theirs. Nonetheless, both the spotted hyena and the smaller striped hyena are powerful predators quite capable of killing an adult human, and are known to attack people when food is scarce. Like most predators, hyena attacks tend to target women, children, and infirm men, though both species can and do attack healthy adult males on occasion. The spotted hyena

5661-490: The body a little and throw it over the edge of the burning ghat . In Asia, man-eating leopards usually attack at night, and have been reported to break down doors and thatched roofs in order to reach human prey. Attacks in Africa are reported less often, though there have been occasions where attacks occurred in daylight. Both Corbett and Kenneth Anderson have written that hunting the man-eating panther presented more challenges than any other animal. In 2019 in India, an infant

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5772-571: The bridge in February 1899. The exact number of people killed by the lions is unclear. Patterson gave several figures, overall claiming that there were 135 victims. At the end of the crisis, the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom , Lord Salisbury , addressed the House of Lords on the subject of the Tsavo man-eaters: "The whole of the works were put to a stop because a pair of man-eating lions appeared in

5883-410: The cabinet which makes the holder of that office bear responsibility for the collective conduct of the government. Professor Rodney Brazier points out that the since the prime minister wields significant sway over policy, that power must be subjected to the conclusion and input of Cabinet ministers. This prevents the office of prime minister from becoming more dominant and also ensures that executive power

5994-465: The careless, small children, and elderly. Unlike the far more dangerous saltwater and Nile crocodiles, the majority of alligators avoid contact with humans if possible, especially if they have been hunted. Incidents have happened, and they may not all have been predatory in nature. Only very few species of snakes are physically capable of swallowing an adult human. Although quite a few claims have been made about giant snakes swallowing adult humans, only

6105-529: The centuries. The office of prime minister itself is not explicitly mentioned in parliamentary law but is developed by constitutional conventions and therefore it is defined by precedent and tradition. Bogdanor notes that the prime minister's power in parliament is exhibited by their control of the executive (the Cabinet) and their ability to influence the legislative agenda. The ability of the prime minister to influence legislation, according to academic Philip Norton ,

6216-411: The chance; a wide variety of species have also been known to adopt humans as usual prey, including various bears , spotted and striped hyenas , and Komodo dragons . Tigers are recorded to have killed more people than any other big cat, and have been responsible for more human deaths through direct attack than any other wild mammal. About 1,000 people were reportedly killed each year in India during

6327-412: The confidence of the House of Commons , they sit as members of Parliament . The office of prime minister is not established by any statute or constitutional document, but exists only by long-established convention , whereby the monarch appoints as prime minister the person most likely to command the confidence of the House of Commons. In practice, this is the leader of the political party that holds

6438-414: The consent of parliament. The prime minister leads the executive in directing government policy and maintaining coordination between government departments which is dependent upon the cooperation and consent of ministers. Foreign policy and national security are areas in which the prime minister has traditionally enjoyed more authority under what are known as prerogative powers. Vernon Bogdanor argues that

6549-484: The constitutional hierarchy, the premiership was given little formal recognition until the 20th century; the legal fiction was maintained that the sovereign still governed directly. The position was first mentioned in statute only in 1917, in the schedule of the Chequers Estate Act . Increasingly during the 20th century, the office and role of prime minister featured in statute law and official documents; however,

6660-434: The construction of a rail bridge over the Tsavo River (part of the Uganda Railway ) in modern-day Tsavo East National Park , two enormous maneless male Tsavo lions terrorized the railway workers, most of them imported from India, and were believed to have killed or devoured over 130 men. The entire railway project had to be halted as the then British prime minister sounded the alarm. They were eventually tracked and killed by

6771-450: The cougar is flushed out by dogs which it either outruns or mauls some distance away. Then, the cougar circles around and mauls the hunter in ambush attack. Contrasted to other carnivorous mammals known to attack humans for food, the frequency with which wolves have been recorded to kill people is rather low, indicating that, though potentially dangerous, wolves are among the least threatening for their size and predatory potential, except for

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6882-606: The countries of Eastern Europe, ex-USSR countries, and some South Asian countries, such as India. Almost all known predatory coyote attacks on humans have failed. To date, other than the Kelly Keen coyote attack and the Taylor Mitchell coyote attack , all known victims have survived by fighting, fleeing, or being rescued, and only in the latter case was the victim partially eaten, although that case occurred in Nova Scotia where

6993-438: The course of time received universal observance and respect. The relationships between the prime minister and the sovereign, Parliament and Cabinet are defined largely by these unwritten conventions of the constitution. Many of the prime minister's executive and legislative powers are actually royal prerogatives which are still formally vested in the sovereign , who remains the head of state . Despite its growing dominance in

7104-655: The damaged tooth. The scientific analysis does not differentiate between the entire human corpses consumed and the parts of individual prey since the attacks often raise alarms, forcing the lions to slink back into the surrounding area. Many workers over the long construction period went missing, died in accidents, or fled out of fear, so it is likely almost all of the builders who stayed on knew someone missing or supposedly eaten. It appears that Colonel Patterson may have exaggerated his claims, as have subsequent investigators (e.g., "135 armed men", Neiburger and Patterson, 2000), though none of these modern studies have taken into account

7215-448: The day before, was found dead inside a 5-metre-long (16 ft) python in June 2024. Large constricting snakes will sometimes constrict and kill prey that are too large to swallow. Also, multiple cases are documented of medium-sized (3 to 4 m [10 to 13 ft]) captive Burmese pythons constricting and killing humans, including several nonintoxicated, healthy adult men, one of whom

7326-435: The day to acquire prey. This greater assertiveness usually makes man-eating lions easier to dispatch than tigers. Lions typically become man-eaters for the same reasons as tigers: starvation, old age, and illness, though as with tigers, some man-eaters were reportedly in perfect health. The most notorious case of man-eating lions ever documented happened in 1898 in what was then known as British East Africa, now Kenya . During

7437-603: The dog which poses lethal hazards for reasons other than predation . In the rare cases in which man-eating wolf attacks occur, the majority of victims are children. Habituation is a known factor contributing to some man-eating wolf attacks which results from living close to human habitations, causing wolves to lose their fear of humans and consequently approach too closely, much like urban coyotes . Habituation can also happen when people intentionally encourage wolves to approach them, usually by offering them food, or unintentionally, when people do not sufficiently intimidate them. This

7548-473: The early 1900s, with one individual Bengal tigress killing 436 people in India. Tigers killed 129 people in the Sundarbans mangrove forest from 1969 to 1971. Unlike leopards and lions, man-eating tigers rarely enter human habitations to acquire prey. The majority of victims were reportedly in the tiger's territory when the attack took place. Additionally, tiger attacks mostly occur during daylight hours, unlike those involving leopards and lions. The Sundarbans

7659-417: The first lion had a severely damaged tooth that would have compromised its ability to kill natural prey. However, the general public has generally disregarded this theory. Colonel Patterson, who killed the lions, disclaimed it, saying that he damaged that tooth with his rifle while the lion charged him one night, prompting it to flee. Studies indicate that the lions ate humans as a supplement to other food, as

7770-505: The first lion on 9 December 1898. Twenty days later, the second lion was found and killed. The first lion killed measured 9 ft 8 in (2.95 m) from nose to tip of the tail. It took eight men to carry the carcass back to camp. Patterson wrote in his account that he wounded the first lion with one bullet from a high-caliber rifle. This shot struck the lion in its hind leg, but it escaped. Later, it returned at night and began stalking Patterson as he tried to hunt it. He shot it through

7881-480: The goal of enacting the legislative agenda of their political party. In an executive capacity, the prime minister appoints (and may dismiss) all other Cabinet members and ministers , and co-ordinates the policies and activities of all government departments, and the staff of the Civil Service. The prime minister also acts as the public "face" and "voice" of His Majesty's Government, both at home and abroad. Solely upon

7992-420: The government to steer legislation through both Houses of Parliament. Although the prime minister does not possess the power to introduce legislation directly, their control of the cabinet and their role as leader of the largest political party in the House of Commons enables them substantial influence over any legislative agenda. Bagehot points out that this power is based on the prime minister's ability to operate

8103-477: The granting of honours. Brazier argues that prerogative powers allow the prime minister to act within the "authority of the crown" in situations where neither convention nor statutory law applies. As noted by both Bagehot and Brazier, areas in which the prime minister authorises their given prerogative powers are matters of foreign affairs. In recent occasions, the 2003 invasion of Iraq saw Prime Minister Tony Blair deploying British troops to Saudi Arabia without

8214-465: The immediate consent or approval of parliament. Brazier says the rise of parliamentary and public scrutiny has led to calls for reform and checks on the use of prerogative powers. The only prime minister who did not seek parliamentary or legal consent for military action was Anthony Eden during the Suez Crisis in 1956. Professors Mark Elliot and Robert Thomas argue that prerogative powers present

8325-650: The largest number of seats in the Commons. The prime minister is ex officio also First Lord of the Treasury (prior to 1905 also the official title of the position), Minister for the Civil Service , the minister responsible for national security , and Minister for the Union . The prime minister's official residence and office, by virtue of being the First Lord of the Treasury, is 10 Downing Street in London. Early conceptions of

8436-421: The lion eleven days later as it was stalking Patterson and trying to flee. When they found the lion the next day, Patterson shot it three more times with the same rifle, severely crippling it, and shot it three times with a third rifle, twice in the chest and once in the head, which killed it. He claimed it died gnawing on a fallen tree branch, still trying to reach him. The construction crew returned and finished

8547-419: The lions returned, the attacks intensified, with almost daily killings. Crews tried to scare off the lions and built campfires and bomas , or thorn fences made of whistling thorn trees around their camp for protection to keep the man-eaters out, all to no avail; the lions leaped over or crawled through the thorn fences to get into the camps. Patterson noted that early in their killing spree , only one lion at

8658-494: The local animals are eastern coyotes ( coywolves ). In June 2019, a nine-year-old boy was killed by jackals in Farakka , West Bengal , India. This was witnessed by a neighbor, who saw the child's half-eaten body being dragged by the pack of seven jackals. Polar bears , particularly young and undernourished ones, will hunt people for food. Although bears rarely attack humans, bear attacks often cause devastating injuries due to

8769-419: The locality and conceived a most unfortunate taste for our workmen. At last the labourers entirely declined to carry on unless they were guarded by iron entrenchments. Of course it is difficult to work a railway under these conditions and until we found an enthusiastic sportsman to get rid of these lions our enterprise was seriously hindered." After 25 years as Patterson's floor rugs, the lions' skins were sold to

8880-534: The loss of life when the Sobral Santos II ferry sank in the Amazon River in 1981. The giant grouper is one of the largest species of bony fish in the world, reaching a maximum length of 3 meters (10 ft) and weight of 600 kilograms (1,300 lb). There have been cases of this species attacking humans, along with the closely related Atlantic goliath grouper . Some large cephalopods, in particular

8991-415: The nation to military action. In addition to this, the prime minister also exerts informal influence over public policy. Brazier notes this is due to the prime minister often being the leader of the largest party in government, therefore having a direct impact in initiating policy both in government and during election campaigns. In the House of Commons, the prime minister guides the law-making process with

9102-652: The occurrence of chimpanzees killing human children has allegedly become more common. Despite small individual size, rats in large numbers can kill helpless people by eating them alive. Rat torture has been documented by Amnesty International . Large sized rats (some as big as a small cat) have been seen to feed upon human corpses in mortuaries in India. Crocodile attacks on people are common in places where crocodiles are native. The saltwater and Nile crocodiles are responsible for more attacks and more deaths than any other wild predator that attacks humans for food. Each year, hundreds of deadly attacks are attributed to

9213-412: The office of prime minister evolved as the " Primus inter pares " or "first among equals", however that does not differentiate on status and responsibility upon whoever is holding office. Historically, the prime minister has never been the first among equals at any time prior to 1868. Until now, that characterisation of the prime minister is reflective of the democratic nature of their position. The power of

9324-425: The office of prime minister has grown significantly since the first prime minister, Robert Walpole in 1721. Prime ministerial power itself evolved gradually alongside the office itself which have played an increasingly prominent role in British politics since the early 20th century . During the premierships of Tony Blair and Margaret Thatcher , prime ministerial power expanded substantially and their leadership in

9435-418: The office were described as "presidential" due to their personal yielding of power and tight control over the cabinet. The prime minister is regarded as one of the world's most powerful political leaders in modern times. As the leader of the world's sixth largest economy , the prime minister hold significant domestic and international leadership alongside being the leader of a prominent member state of NATO ,

9546-416: The people who were killed but not eaten by the animals. Other researchers have also shown that estimates of animal diets derived from isotopic models often deviate considerably from the correct values. Theories for the man-eating behaviour of lions have been reviewed by Peterhans and Gnoske, as well as Bruce D. Patterson (2004). Their discussions include the following: An alternative argument indicates that

9657-418: The pig's motivation was also described by either the victim or the victim's companion as predatory; of those, one victim survived with serious injuries while the other was fatally injured. In a 2009 attack in India, a 3-year old girl, walking on a trail with her father, was grabbed by a wild pig, which then tried to flee with the child in its mouth. The father chased the animal, fighting with it until his daughter

9768-447: The powers of the Crown, entrusting its authority to responsible ministers (the prime minister and Cabinet), accountable for their policies and actions to Parliament, in particular the elected House of Commons . Although many of the sovereign's prerogative powers are still legally intact, constitutional conventions have removed the monarch from day-to-day governance, with ministers exercising

9879-428: The prime minister acts as the main representative of the government in the international sphere, including in parliament, where treaties are ratified and international commitments are debated. The most significant powers given to the prime minister are "prerogative powers". These are a set of constitutional privileges deriving from monarchial authority that have gradually evolved into tools of executive power managed by

9990-401: The prime minister and the government. Bagehot famously called the British system as one where "the executive power is now yielded by the prime minister" rather than the monarch, a shift from personal to political power. Prerogative powers allow the prime minister to act without the immediate or direct consent of parliament especially in circumstances such as declaring war, deployment of troops and

10101-463: The prime minister and the sovereign. The concept of " the Crown " resolves this paradox. The Crown symbolises the state's authority to govern: to make laws and execute them, impose taxes and collect them, declare war and make peace. Before the " Glorious Revolution " of 1688, the sovereign exclusively wielded the powers of the Crown; afterwards, Parliament gradually forced monarchs to assume a neutral political position. Parliament has effectively dispersed

10212-404: The prime minister depends on the support of their respective party and on the popular mandate. The appointment of cabinet ministers and granting of honours are done through the prime minister's power of appointment . The prime minister alongside the cabinet proposes new legislation and decide on key policies that fit their agenda which is then passed by an act of parliament . The power of

10323-527: The prime minister's approval is needed in order to initiate the legislative agenda. King's analysis of contemporary politcs showed that some prime ministers often bypass or overrule the cabinet on traditional discussion and to push through their preferred agendas with notable cases such as Margaret Thatcher and Tony Blair. The prime minister's influence in the Houses of Parliament is derived from longstanding conventions and statutes that have gradually evolved through

10434-462: The prime minister's powers and relationships with other institutions still largely continue to derive from ancient royal prerogatives and historic and modern constitutional conventions. Prime ministers continue to hold the position of First Lord of the Treasury and, since November 1968, that of Minister for the Civil Service , the latter giving them authority over the civil service . Under this arrangement, Britain might appear to have two executives:

10545-514: The project's chief engineer and required eight men to carry each to camp. Man-eating lions studies indicate that African lions eat humans as a supplement to other food, not as a last resort. In July 2018, a South African news website reported that three rhino poachers were mauled and eaten by lions at Sibuya Game Reserve in Eastern Cape province, South Africa. Man-eating leopards are a small percentage of all leopards, but have undeniably been

10656-498: The resulting shift of political power from the sovereign to Parliament. The prime minister is the head of the United Kingdom government . As such, the modern prime minister leads the Cabinet (the Executive). In addition, the prime minister leads a major political party and generally commands a majority in the House of Commons (the lower chamber of Parliament). The incumbent wields both significant legislative and executive powers. Under

10767-484: The several thousand mostly Indian workers. The project was led by Lieutenant-Colonel John Henry Patterson , who arrived just days before the disappearances and killings began. During the next nine months of construction, two maneless male Tsavo lions stalked the campsite, dragging workers from their tents at night, devouring them. There was an interval of several months when the attacks ceased, but word trickled in from other nearby settlements of similar lion attacks. When

10878-411: The shoulder, penetrating its heart with a more powerful rifle, and found it lying dead the next morning not far from his platform. The second lion was shot nine times, five with the same rifle, three with a second, and once with a third rifle – six finding their mark. The first shot was fired from atop a scaffolding that Patterson had built near a goat killed by the lion. Two shots from a second rifle hit

10989-596: The size and immense strength of the giant land and shoreline carnivores. As with dogs, predatory intent is not necessary; territorial disputes and protection of cubs can result in death by bear attack. Truly man-eating bear attacks are uncommon, but are known to occur when the animals are diseased or natural prey is scarce, often leading them to attack and eat anything they are able to kill. Brown bears are known to sometimes hunt hikers and campers for food in North America. For example, Lance Crosby, 63, of Billings, Montana ,

11100-435: The skeletal remains of Taita people from the early 20th century. Interpolation of their estimates across the nine months of recorded man-eating behavior suggested that FMNH 23969 most likely ate the equivalent of 10.5 humans and that FMNH 23970 most likely ate 24.2 humans. However, the researchers noted that, according to their estimates, a combined death toll as high as 72 was still possible. DNA from compacted hair found in

11211-407: The tooth cavities of the Tsavo man-eaters in 2024 reveals that in addition to humans, the lions fed on zebras , oryx , waterbuck , wildebeest , and at least two individuals of Masai giraffe . This suggests the lions would switch between hunting their natural prey and humans, though it remains unclear as to whether the lions began hunting humans as a result of the injuries sustained to the male with

11322-687: The tropical north of the country. The mugger crocodile is another man-eater that kills many people in Asia each year, although not to the same level as the saltwater and Nile crocodiles. All crocodile species are also dangerous to humans, but most do not actively prey on them. Despite their manifest ability to kill prey similar to or larger than humans in size and their commonness in an area of dense human settlement (the southeastern United States, especially Florida), American alligators rarely prey upon humans. Even so, there have been several notable instances of alligators opportunistically attacking humans, especially

11433-602: The use of such powers by the prime minister is often constrained by political convention than by law. King Charles III [REDACTED] William, Prince of Wales [REDACTED] Charles III ( King-in-Council ) [REDACTED] Starmer ministry ( L ) Keir Starmer ( L ) Angela Rayner ( L ) ( King-in-Parliament ) [REDACTED] Charles III [REDACTED] [REDACTED] [REDACTED] The Lord Reed The Lord Hodge Andrew Bailey Monetary Policy Committee The British system of government

11544-415: The victims manage to escape with their lives, albeit severely wounded. Komodo dragons have been known to consume human corpses, usually by digging up shallow graves. This has led to the villagers of Komodo Island to relocate their graves, and pile rocks on top of them to deter the dragons. Some evidence supports the contention that the African crowned eagle occasionally views human children as prey, with

11655-464: Was a "student" zookeeper. In the zookeeper case, the python was attempting to swallow the zookeeper's head when other keepers intervened. In addition, at least one Burmese python as small as 2.7 m (8.9 ft) constricted and killed an intoxicated adult man. A large constricting snake may constrict or swallow an infant or a small child, a threat that is legitimate and empirically proven. Cases of python attacks on children have been recorded for

11766-506: Was attacked and killed by a shoal of P. nattereri . Some Brazilian rivers have warning signs about lethal piranhas. Reports have been made of goonch catfish eating humans in the Kali River in India. Additionally there have been reports of Wels catfish killing and eating humans in Europe. Large predatory catfish such as the redtail catfish and piraíba are thought to have contributed to

11877-557: Was based on their review of Colonel Patterson's original journal, courtesy of Alan Patterson. However, the same study also noted that the journal refers only to Indian workers and that Patterson stated that the casualties were much higher in the African worker population but that those numbers were not documented. The two lion specimens in Chicago's Field Museum are known as FMNH 23970, the 'standing' mount, killed on 9 December 1898, and FMNH 23969,

11988-637: Was hiking alone and without bear spray in Yellowstone National Park in August 2015 when he was attacked by a 259-pound (117 kg) grizzly bear . The park rules say people should hike in groups and always carry bear spray – a form of pepper spray that is used to deter aggressive bears. His body was found in the Lake Village section of the park in northwest Wyoming. Timothy Treadwell and his girlfriend Amie Huguenard were killed and almost fully eaten by

12099-417: Was released. Both the father and daughter were seriously injured during the attack; the child later died of her injuries. Although attacks by wild pigs are primarily defensive in nature, the potential for an attack of a predatory nature cannot be completely discounted. The only documented man-eating great apes have been humans themselves and chimpanzees . As humans encroach further on chimpanzee habitat,

12210-521: Was stolen and decapitated by a leopard. Jaguar attacks on humans are rare nowadays. In the past, they were more frequent, at least after the arrival of Conquistadors in the Americas . The risk to humans would likely increase if the number of capybaras , the jaguar's primary prey, decreased. Due to the expanding human population , cougar ranges increasingly overlap with areas inhabited by humans. Attacks on humans are very rare, as cougar prey recognition

12321-446: Was the basis for several films: Man-eating animal Although humans can be attacked by many kinds of non-human animals, man-eating animals are those that have incorporated human flesh into their usual diet and actively hunt and kill humans. Most reported cases of man-eaters have involved lions , tigers , leopards , polar bears , and large crocodilians . However, they are not the only predators that will attack humans if given

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