George Adamson

For the illustrator and cartoonist, see George Worsley Adamson.
George Adamson

George Adamson photographed in 1970

photographed in 1970
Born 3 February 1906
Etawah, India
Died 20 August 1989 (aged 83)
Kora National Park, Coast Province, Kenya, Africa
Cause of death
 Murder
Other names Bwana Game, Baba ya Simba
Occupation
  • British Wildlife Conservationist
  • Author
Spouse(s) Joy Adamson
(1944 – 1977; separation)
Website
www.georgeadamson.org

George Adamson (3 February 1906 – 20 August 1989), also known as the Baba ya Simba ("Father of Lions" in Swahili),[1] was a British wildlife conservationist and author. He and his wife, Joy Adamson, are best known through the movie Born Free and best-selling book with the same title, which is based on the true story of Elsa the Lioness, an orphaned lioness cub they had raised and later released into the wild. Several other films have been made based on Adamson's life.

Life

George Alexander Graham Adamson was born 3 February 1906 in Etawah,[2] then British India. Educated at Dean Close School, Cheltenham, England, he first visited Kenya in 1924. After a series of jobs, which included time as a gold prospector, goat trader, and professional safari hunter,[3] he joined Kenya's game department in 1938[3] and was Senior Game Warden of the Northern Frontier District. Six years later, he married Joy.[3] It was in 1956 that he raised the lioness cub, Elsa, who became the subject of the 1966 feature film Born Free.

Adamson retired as a game warden in 1961 and devoted himself to his many lions. In 1970, he moved to the Kora National Reserve in northern Kenya to continue the rehabilitation of captive or orphaned big cats for eventual reintroduction into the wild. George and Joy separated in 1970, but continued to spend Christmas holidays together until she was murdered on 3 January 1980.

Death

On 20 August 1989 George Adamson was murdered in Kenya, East Africa, by Somalian bandits when he went to the rescue of his assistant and a young European tourist in the Kora National Park. He is buried in the Kora National Park near his brother Terrance, Super Cub (Terrance's favourite lion), and his beloved lion friend Boy.[2][4]

He most likely would have had Christian buried next to him as well, but Christian was believed by George to have moved to new territory across the Tana river following a period of time in Kora after being entrusted to George by his previous owners, John Rendall and Anthony Bourke.[5]

Film and television

Bibliography

References

  1. ↑ "George Adamson, Friend of lions... Father of Lions". Retrieved 2008-05-05.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 "George Adamson Information – Father of Lions". www.fatheroflions.org. Retrieved 2008-05-05.
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 "Obituaries: Adamson, George". 1990 Britannica Book of the Year. Chicago: Encyclopaedia Britannica, Inc. 1990. p. 103. ISBN 0-85229-522-7.
  4. ↑ "Adamson". www.georgeadamson.org. Retrieved 2010-05-10.
  5. ↑ "Final Resting Place", George Adamson, fatheroflions.org, Retrieved 22 April 2009
  6. ↑ "Born Free (1966)". www.imdb.com. Retrieved 2008-05-05.
  7. ↑ "The Lions Are Free (1967)". www.imdb.com. Retrieved 2008-05-05.
  8. ↑ "An Elephant Called Slowly (1969)". www.imdb.com. Retrieved 2008-05-05.
  9. ↑ "Living Free (1972)". www.imdb.com. Retrieved 2008-05-05.
  10. ↑ "Christian the Lion: George Adamson, Terence Adamson, Anthony Bourke, James Hill, Virginia McKenna, John Rendall: Video". www.amazon.com. Retrieved 2008-05-05.
  11. ↑ ""Born Free" (1974)". www.imdb.com. Retrieved 2008-05-05.
  12. ↑ "To Walk with Lions (1999)". www.imdb.com. Retrieved 2008-05-05.
  13. ↑ Eisner, Ken (14 June 1999). "To Walk with Lions Review". www.variety.com. Retrieved 2008-05-05.

"My Pride and Joy"

Further reading

External links