The Kenya Wildlife Service has set up a George Adamson fund to help wildlife conservation in Kora National Park in honour of the conservationist.
Deputy director general Charles Musyoki said the fund will boost the restoration of the park for national and international acclaim.
“We will work with the counties and other stakeholders to ensure the Kora National Park is restored to the standard that Adamson desired,” Musyoka said.
He spoke on Saturday at the graveside of George Adamson inside the Kora National Reserve.
Musyoka was the chief guest during a ceremony to commemorate the 30th anniversary of Adamson’s death.
The conservationist fondly referred to as the father of lions was killed by bandits on August 20, 1989. He was 83.
He was buried at the Kambi ya Simba site inside then Kora National Reserve where he lived and took care of the lions.
Soon after George Adamson’s murder, the national reserve was elevated to park status in his honour.
The senior warden in-charge of Meru conservation area Bakari Chingwa said that while Adamson was alive, up to 50,000 foreign tourists visited Kora every year.
He lamented that currently, Kora registers hardly any tourists and the numbers of animals has been badly depleted.
Musyoka said that the sorry state of Kora National Park must be sorted out to ensure the wildlife numbers were restored.
“The management plan for Kora National Park was gazetted last week. The government is keen on improving the situation.
County tourism executives from both Tana River and Kitui counties Yahya Ali and Patrick Musau pledged their respective governments’ support.
