Part of the great thrill of exploration is the unknown, and among the many 10 suspected cases that have captured imaginations, the risk of being devoured by cannibals looms large. Risk and reward must be weighed on every venture; ships may sink, disease may spread, and quicksand may swallow the unwary, yet the lure of new knowledge and a place in history drives explorers onward.

10 Suspected Cases of Cannibalism Among Explorers

10 German Explorer Killed On Polynesian Goat Hunt

German-born Stefan Ramin and his partner Heike Dorsch were seasoned travelers who set sail around the globe, arriving at the Marquesas Islands of French Polynesia on August 30, 2011. Enchanted by the islands, they lingered twice as long as planned. During this extended stay, Ramin arranged for a local, Arihano Haiti, to guide him on a traditional goat hunt.

The two men left Dorsch alone for several hours. When the dinghy returned, only Haiti was aboard. He claimed an accident had occurred in the forest, saying Ramin was badly injured and needed urgent assistance. Upon reaching the site, Haiti brandished a shotgun, telling Dorsch, “You die now.” A struggle ensued, and Haiti shifted tactics, assaulting Dorsch sexually before binding her to a tree, where she endured hours of torment.

Dorsch eventually broke free, spotting Haiti’s flashlight in the distance and sprinting to the shoreline. She clambered onto a fellow traveler’s boat, escaping with her life. Police later discovered Ramin’s remains among campfire ashes, confirming Haiti’s murder. The case sparked sensational media speculation about cannibalism, prompting outrage among French Polynesians who felt the coverage reinforced harmful stereotypes.

9 The Blanche Bay Massacre

In 1878, Methodist Reverend George Brown dispatched four Fijian missionaries to Papua New Guinea. Their mission balanced the delicate act of conversion against the possibility of severe cultural insult. The Tolai tribe, however, appeared unimpressed by the missionaries’ overtures.

The missionaries were slain and eaten at the behest of tribal leader Taleli. Brown, apparently forgetting Christian pacifism, retaliated by burning an entire village linked to the murders, killing at least ten people. British colonial authorities later cleared Brown of any wrongdoing.

Brown later boasted, “The natives respect us more than they did, and as they all acknowledge the justice of our cause they bear us no ill will.” Contemporary newspaper commentary warned that missionary endeavors could spark wars of extermination, suggesting withdrawal might be wiser. In 2007, the Tolai tribe, having abandoned cannibalism, issued a formal apology for the killings.

8 Andrei Kurochkin’s Siberian Fishing Trip

In 2012, Andrei Kurochkin and three companions embarked on a Siberian taiga fishing expedition. Their jeep and supplies sank into a river, turning a few‑week trip into a grueling four‑month ordeal. Kurochkin perished during this period, and one other participant remains missing.

Survivors Alexei Gorulenko and Aleksandr Abdullaev were rescued, and Kurochkin’s remains were discovered, showing clear signs of butchery. Gorulenko altered his story, claiming Kurochkin died from a leg injury before the group resorted to cannibalism for survival, hacking off flesh as they trekked to safety. Abdullaev faced no charges, while Gorulenko was initially tried for murder but escaped prison, later receiving a 12‑year sentence after the Russian Supreme Court overturned the lower court’s decision.

Kurochkin’s widow expressed horror, lamenting the remnants of her husband: “One foot with toes, one finger, and the back of his skull with some hair. This is all I have left from the man I loved.” The case underscores the brutal decisions forced by extreme isolation.

7 Giovanni Da Verrazzano’s Final Voyage To The New World

Giovanni da Verrazzano, an Italian explorer active in the early 1500s, first impressed King Francis I of France after ventures in North Africa. Commissioned for New World expeditions, he sought a clear passage to the Pacific and lucrative Asian trade routes.

His early voyages charted Maine, Nova Scotia, and Newfoundland. On a third trip, he reached Brazil, returning to France laden with exotic timber. In 1528, Verrazzano launched his final sea journey, again heading toward the Americas. He landed in Florida before sailing south into the Caribbean.

Near Guadeloupe, Verrazzano reportedly launched a rowboat toward an island, where his crew observed from afar as he was killed and allegedly eaten by the island’s inhabitants. Some historians doubt the cannibalism claim, suggesting instead that Verrazzano may have been a French pirate named Jean Florentine, captured and hanged by the Spanish. The story remains contested.

6 Thomas Baker And Seven Of His Followers Are Eaten By The Villagers Of Nabutautau

Fiji, historically dubbed “the Cannibal Isles,” saw Methodist Reverend Thomas Baker arrive in 1859. He survived until July 1867, when he ventured deep into Viti Levu to attempt converting a local chief.

Legend says Baker offered the chief a comb as a peace‑making gift. When the chief rejected the gospel, Baker reclaimed the comb, inadvertently touching the chief’s head—a grave insult in local custom. Whether this incident truly occurred is uncertain; tensions likely stemmed from broader distrust of sanctimonious outsiders.

Regardless, Baker and seven of his followers were slain and consumed by the Nabutautau villagers. The tribe later believed the act invoked a curse, prompting a 2003 visit by eleven of Baker’s descendants. A formal apology and a curse‑lifting ritual were performed, marking a reconciliation.

5 Richard Parker Is Killed And Eaten Out Of ‘Necessity’

In 1884, four men set sail from Southampton in a yacht bound for Australia. Two months into the voyage, a rogue wave capsized the vessel, leaving the crew adrift in a dinghy with only two tins of turnips, rationed over twelve days.

When supplies ran out, the 17‑year‑old cabin boy Richard Parker, having drunk seawater, grew gravely ill. Captain Thomas Dudley, noting their familial obligations, told crew member Edwin Stephens, “The boy is dying… Human flesh has been eaten before.” Parker was then pinned down while Dudley thrust a penknife into his throat. The trio drank Parker’s blood and ate his liver and heart, setting aside chunks for later consumption before discarding the rest overboard.

Rescued later, Dudley openly admitted the act, arguing it was a desperate necessity. Most of England sympathized, even shaking hands with the men during their trial. Nonetheless, they were found guilty of murder, sentenced to death, then reduced to six months’ imprisonment. The fourth sailor, who participated in the cannibalism but not the murder, escaped charges.

4 Oliver Fellows Tomkins And James Chalmers Keep Promise To Visit Cannibal Islanders

Congregationalist missionaries Oliver Fellows Tomkins and James Chalmers operated in Papua New Guinea, with Chalmers having spent 23 years there and Tomkins just over a year. In 1901, both men attempted to spread the Christian gospel to the Goaribari Island inhabitants, traveling along the Aird River.

Tomkins recorded a harrowing encounter: a short service aboard the ship was interrupted by the sight of twenty canoes approaching. The canoes lingered for three hours, inspecting everything from rigging to buttons, urging the men to come ashore. The missionaries declined, promising to visit the village the following morning.

True to their word, Tomkins, Chalmers, and several crew members went ashore the next day, where they were slain and eaten. Their bones were later displayed by the islanders, cementing a grim legacy.

3 Owen Coffin And His Crewmates Eat Each Other After Whale Attack

Seventeen‑year‑old Owen Coffin served aboard the whaling ship Essex, which embarked on a sperm‑whale hunt in the Pacific. In November 1820, a massive whale struck the Essex twice, sinking it. Crew member Owen Chase vividly described the second blow, noting the whale’s ferocious tail and half‑emerged head.

The survivors escaped in three small boats, rationing the bodies of deceased crewmates. After more than two months adrift, the men on Coffin’s boat drew lots to decide who would be sacrificed for sustenance. Coffin drew the short straw; when his cousin, the ship’s captain, offered to take his place, Coffin allegedly replied, “No, I like my lot as well as any other.”

The boat was eventually rescued on the South American coast on February 23, 1822, after 92 days at sea. The harrowing ordeal inspired Herman Melville’s classic novel Moby‑Dick.

2 John Williams’s Poorly Timed Visit To Erromango

John Williams, a prolific missionary with over two decades of experience in the South Pacific, met his end in 1839 while exploring Vanuatu (then the New Hebrides). Alongside fellow missionary James Harris, Williams arrived on Erromango island shortly after European sandalwood traders had violently clashed with locals.

The recent violence painted Williams and Harris as threats. Harris was clubbed to death, and Williams fled toward the sea before being clubbed and shot with arrows. Their bodies were subsequently consumed by the islanders.

In 2009, Williams’s descendants visited the murder site, and, echoing the earlier reconciliation with the Nabutautau tribe, the Erromango people performed a ceremony to lift a perceived curse, seeking closure for both sides.

1 The Lost Franklin Expedition

In 1845, Sir John Franklin set sail with the HMS Erebus and HMS Terror, aiming to navigate the final uncharted stretch of the Northwest Passage in the Arctic. The expedition began with 134 men, reduced to 129 after five were discharged in Greenland.

The ships vanished, prompting numerous rescue attempts. No survivors were found; all 129 crew members eventually perished. Lady Franklin, John’s wife, funded a series of searches, the last being the 1857 steam schooner Fox, which uncovered letters indicating Franklin’s death in April 1848.

In 1992, archaeologists discovered 400 bone fragments on King William Island, bearing cut marks consistent with defleshing. The wreck of HMS Erebus was located in 2014, followed by HMS Terror in 2016, finally solving the mystery of the lost expedition.

David is a freelance writer and windowlicker. You can read more of his writing @ CultureRoast.com and check out his videos @ YouTube.com/CultureRoast.

Some politicians love to bluster about “having their opponents for lunch,” but how many actually have the stomach to turn that rhetoric into a gruesome reality? Below we tally 10 suspected cases where political power collided with literal cannibalism, whether as accusation, confession, or horrifying victimhood.

10 Suspected Cases of Political Cannibalism

10 Lon Nil Cooked And Eaten By Angry Cambodian Mob

In 1970, Cambodia experienced a violent coup that ousted Prince Norodom Sihanouk and installed Cheng Heng, with Lon Nol eventually rising to head of state by 1972.

The upheaval sparked heavy fighting on both sides, and one of the most notorious deaths was that of Lon Nil—brother of Lon Nol—who fell victim on March 28, 1970, after Prince Sihanouk publicly called on Cambodians to rise against the new regime.

The call sparked riots in Kampong Cham; Lon Nol dispatched his brother to assess the turmoil, only for Lon Nil to be dragged into a central market where a mob of Sihanouk loyalists brutally beat him to death.

Witnesses say the mob ripped open his chest, removed his liver, and prepared it in a nearby Chinese restaurant, then devoured the organ as a visceral expression of their fury toward Lon Nol.

Although Lon Nol eventually quelled the unrest in Kampong Cham, the Khmer Rouge seized power in 1975, forcing Nol into exile, leaving the gruesome episode as a stark reminder of the era’s savage brutality.

9 Johan And Cornelis De Witt Ambushed And Eaten By Dutch Peasants

The Dutch disaster year of 1672, known as the Rampjaar, saw the nation plunged into chaos, with Johan de Witt occupying the highest political office alongside his brother Cornelis.

On June 21, 1672, Johan suffered a severe knife wound and was removed from office in August; shortly thereafter, Cornelis faced accusations of plotting to assassinate William III, was arrested, tortured, and slated for exile.

When Johan visited his brother in prison just before the planned departure, both brothers were violently assaulted and shot by an organized militia, their bodies later displayed publicly.

It is widely believed that the enraged mob shredded the de Witt brothers, consuming parts such as their livers and eyes, turning political rivalry into a literal feast.

8 Victor Biaka Boda Wanders Off The Road And Is Never Seen Again

Victor Biaka Boda secured a seat in the French Senate in 1948, representing Côte d’Ivoire’s Democratic Party, only to become a target of French colonial suppression soon after his election.

The most plausible date for his disappearance is January 28, 1950, when his vehicle broke down near Bouaflé; while his driver repaired the car, Boda stepped away and never returned.

Investigators later uncovered scattered bones and personal effects in November of that year, yet the remains could not be definitively matched to Boda, fueling rumors that his constituents may have cannibalized him—a story that originated from a satirical French newspaper piece.

Regardless of the macabre conjecture, Boda’s death was officially recorded in 1953, confirming that something truly tragic occurred after he strayed from the road.

7 Bedel Bokassa Accused Of Keeping Enemies’ Corpses Hung Up In Cold Storage

Jean‑Bédel Bokassa ruled the Central African Republic—briefly renamed the Central African Empire—from 1966 until his overthrow in 1979, leaving a trail of brutality that included the murder of over a hundred schoolchildren.

During his trial, Bokassa downplayed the accusations, claiming, “I’m not a saint. I’m just a man like everyone else,” while former president David Dacko testified that human flesh had been discovered in Bokassa’s refrigerator, neatly trussed and ready for roasting.

Although prosecutors could not prove cannibalism beyond a reasonable doubt, Bokassa was convicted of all other charges and sentenced to death; the verdict was later overturned in 1988, commuting his sentence to life in solitary confinement, and he was eventually released under a 1993 amnesty.

6 Samuel Doe Dismembered To Prove That He Wasn’t Protected By Black Magic

Samuel Doe seized Liberia’s presidency in 1980 after a coup that eliminated President William Tolbert Jr., subsequently displaying Tolbert’s inner circle in their underwear before publicly executing them.

Doe’s regime was marked by rigged elections and a notorious massacre of over 600 worshippers inside a church; in 1990, a rival coup captured him, and footage shows him stripped to his underwear while politician Prince Johnson, sipping beer, ordered his men to amputate Doe’s ears, fingers, and toes to demonstrate that black magic offered him no protection, before the dictator was decapitated.

Persistent rumors allege that Johnson’s forces consumed parts of Doe’s body, but Johnson, now a senior senator from Nimba County, vehemently denies the claims, insisting that the Nimbaians are not cannibals and that even if he were, he could not have eaten Doe because the corpse had been embalmed with chemicals for 25 years.

5 Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo Accused Of Wanting To Eat His Enemies’ Testicles

Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo has ruled Equatorial Guinea since 1979, turning the nation into a long‑standing dictatorship where opposition parties are outlawed and the sole legal party bears his name, the Democratic Party of Equatorial Guinea.

In 2003, a government aide broadcast on national radio that Obiang could kill without accountability, claiming divine backing; over the ensuing decades, he has been accused of torturing and murdering countless opponents.

Exiled adversary Severo Moto first spread the bizarre rumor that Obiang believed strength came from devouring his foes, allegedly stating on a Spanish radio program in 2004 that the president wanted him to return to Guinea and eat his testicles, a claim that sparked international headlines.

4 Charles Taylor Accused Of Using Cannibalism As A Demoralization Tactic

Charles Taylor held Liberia’s presidency from 1997 until his ouster in 2003, during which he faced numerous foreign accusations of crimes against humanity, especially linked to the Sierra Leone civil war.

After his 2006 extradition from Nigeria, Taylor stood trial and was accused of personally eating human flesh and ordering his subordinates to do the same as a psychological weapon to terrorize opponents; he dismissed the allegations, calling them “sickening” and asserting that only a sick person could believe them.

In 2012, Taylor was convicted of terrorism, murder, rape, and other atrocities, receiving a 50‑year prison sentence; the presiding judge noted his responsibility for some of the most heinous crimes ever recorded.

3 General Butt Naked Drank A Lot Of Human Blood

In the early 1990s, Joshua Milton Blahyi—better known as General Butt Naked—commanded the notorious Butt Naked Brigade during Liberia’s first civil war, a force distinguished by fighters who fought entirely naked, with the few clothed members donning women’s garments and high on drugs.

Blahyi recounted a typical battle day: after heavy drinking and drug use, his troops would sacrifice a local teenager, drink the blood, strip down to their shoes, and charge into combat sporting colorful wigs and imaginary purses, cutting off heads and even using them as soccer balls, all while believing that bloodletting and nudity granted them bullet immunity.

Since converting to Christianity in 1996, General Butt Naked has expressed remorse, claiming that satanic forces once controlled him and drove him to such atrocities, and he now speaks out against the brutal practices of his past.

2 Idi Amin Suspected Of Engaging In Kakwa Blood Rituals

Idi Amin ruled Uganda from 1971 to 1979, cultivating a flamboyant public image that masked a regime responsible for up to half a million deaths.

His ethnic background belonged to the Kakwa, a group historically known for blood rituals that involved cutting flesh from a victim’s body and consuming it to neutralize the spirit’s vengeance; Amin allegedly kept human livers refrigerated, claiming, “It is customary in Kakwa culture to eat the enemy’s liver to cleanse the sin of murder.”

When pressed about the rumors, Amin often deflected with humor, famously remarking, “I don’t like human flesh. It’s too salty for me,” leaving the truth of the accusations shrouded in mystery.

1 Joseph Kony Abducts Children And Forces Them To Engage In Cannibalism

Joseph Kony heads the Lord’s Resistance Army, a rebel group infamous for its operations across Uganda, where Kony claims divine authority as God’s spokesperson and seeks to reshape the nation into a theocratic state governed by the Ten Commandments.

Former LRA officer Francis Ongom has testified that Kony justifies murder, the killing of pigs, and even human slaughter by invoking biblical stories such as the Gadarene swine and the floods of Noah, framing these atrocities as divinely sanctioned.

The LRA’s brutal strategy hinges on abducting children, indoctrinating them, and compelling them to commit horrific acts—including drinking the blood of enemies and eating human flesh—to break inhibitions and foster loyalty.

Survivor Pamela Aber recounted a night when she and other captives were ordered to bite a 14‑year‑old girl attempting escape; despite their relentless biting, the girl survived, after which the rebels beat her to death with a log, illustrating the group’s sadistic cruelty.

While Kony once commanded several thousand fighters at the height of the LRA, recent estimates place his remaining force at fewer than one hundred, signaling a dramatic decline in his operational capacity.

David, the author, prefers aubergine pizza over human flesh; you can explore more of his work at CultureRoast.com and watch his videos on YouTube.com/CultureRoast.