In 1970, George Adamson rented 500 square miles of unwanted Kenyan bush to return captive lions to the wild; 19 years later, after he was killed there, Kora became a national park

George Adamson spent much of his life in the Kenyan wilderness, far from the celebrity that surrounded his wife Joy and Born Free. His path to becoming one of Africa's best-known lion conservationists was anything but ordinary. He worked as a locust control officer, gold prospector, beeswax trader and professional hunter before becoming a game warden. Eventually, Kora in northern Kenya became the place where he devoted himself to returning lions to the wild, as per a report by KORA project.

Why did Adamson choose Kora?

Adamson moved to Kora in 1970 after he and Joy Adamson amicably went their separate ways. He chose the remote area because it was one of the few places where he was allowed to bring his lions.

“I chose Kora because it was the only place where I was allowed to bring my lions,” said George.


“It was a sort of no-man’s land that no-one wanted.”

Adamson rented 500 square miles of dry bush from the local district council for £750 a year. There, he continued his work with lions, spending much of his pension on petrol for his Land Rovers and camel meat for his pride.

Tony Fitzjohn later joined him and became an important part of the work at Kora. Fitzjohn remained there until 1988 and established his own leopard rehabilitation programme near Adamson's camp in 1981.

Adamson's connection with wildlife had begun much earlier. Born in India in 1906, he first arrived in Kenya in 1924 to work on his father's coffee farm. Plantation life did not suit him, and his career eventually led him into game protection, where he shot man-eating animals and pursued ivory poachers in Kenya's Northern Province.

His marriage to Joy Adamson in 1944 became another important chapter in his life. Together, they became associated with Elsa, the lioness they raised and eventually returned to the wild. Joy's book Born Free brought wealth and celebrity, while George remained more comfortable away from the spotlight.

How did Kora change Adamson's life?

The 1980s brought increasing danger to Kenya. Elephant poaching was widespread, while shifta bandit gangs had taken over parts of Kora. Authorities eventually shut down Adamson's lion project, although George was allowed to remain.

In 1988, Kenya's director of wildlife and conservation, Perez Olindo, gave Adamson three lion cubs. George was delighted by the gift.

But the danger around him continued to grow. In October that year, three Kora rangers were shot dead by a shifta gang less than a mile from Adamson's airstrip. Adamson nevertheless stayed. Over the years, he released more than 30 lions into the wild. By February 1989, when he celebrated his 83rd birthday at Kora, he was still living there with his tracker and driver, Abdi, and Hamisi Ferah, his elderly Sudanese cook who had been with him for 30 years.

Meanwhile, poachers were becoming increasingly bold. They moved through Kora with little resistance and killed five rare white rhinos in Meru National Park. Authorities feared for Adamson's safety and tried to persuade him to leave. He refused.

What happened to George Adamson?

On August 19, 1989, something happened that delighted Adamson. After months without seeing or hearing the lions he had released, the entire pride gathered around Kampi ya Simba. They grunted and roared throughout the night.

The following day, Adamson was ambushed and shot dead by a shifta bandit gang armed with AK-47 automatic weapons.

His death came at the end of a life spent in close association with Kenya's wildlife and its wild places. He had stayed at Kora despite growing violence, poaching and repeated warnings about his safety.

There was also a final twist to the story of the remote wilderness he had chosen decades earlier. Had Adamson lived, he would have seen Kora gazetted as a National Park before the end of 1989.

The place that had once been described as a no-man's land that nobody wanted had become part of Kenya's protected landscape.

FAQs

Why did George Adamson choose Kora?
It was where he could bring his lions.

How many lions did he release?
More than 30 lions.