The Tsavo Bridge

Taita-Taveta · Kenya · Bridge

The railway workers called the two maneless lions 'The Ghost' and 'The Darkness' – demons that snatched men from their tents by the Tsavo River at night.

When the British were building the railway bridge over the Tsavo River in 1898, workers began vanishing from their tents at night. Over nine months, two unusually large, maneless lions dragged off and killed dozens of men – and the workers became convinced these were no animals but evil spirits, naming them 'The Ghost' and 'The Darkness'. Many believed they were the wraiths of dead chieftains punishing those who drove the railway through their land. Colonel Patterson eventually shot both lions, but the area around the old bridge is still said to hold an uncanny silence, and the story was filmed as 'The Ghost and the Darkness'.

FAQ

Where is The Tsavo Bridge located?

The Tsavo Bridge is in Taita-Taveta, Kenya.

More haunted places in Taita-Taveta

Accounts are drawn from local folklore and visitor reports.