Lion Adventure facts for kids
Lion Adventure is an exciting children's book written by Willard Price in 1967. It's part of his popular "Adventure" series, which follows the brave brothers Hal and Roger Hunt. In this story, Hal and Roger travel to Africa to capture a lion for a zoo. But their mission becomes very dangerous because of a fierce man-eating lion, much like the famous Tsavo maneaters.
Main Characters
In Lion Adventure, Hal and Roger meet many different people. Some become their friends and helpers, while others cause trouble for them.
Friends and Helpers
- Warden Mark Crosby: Mark Crosby is a warden at Tsavo National Park. He was also an important character in the previous book, Safari Adventure. Hal and Roger visit him to ask about using his plane. However, he suggests they use his hydrogen balloon, the Jules Verne, instead, and kindly lends it to them.
- Tanga: Tanga is the station master along the Tsavo railway. At first, Hal thinks Tanga might be against them. But Tanga was just following orders from King Ku, the strict district officer.
- The Safari Team: Hal and Roger's safari team includes Joro, Mali, Toto, and Zulu the alsatian dog. They don't play a huge role in this story because King Ku stops them from helping. However, when Hal offers to build a school in the village of Gula, he asks his safari team to help with the construction.
Challenges and Rivals
- King Ku: King Ku is the large Tsavo District Officer. From the moment Hal and Roger arrive, King Ku seems to want them to fail. He forbids their safari team from helping, hoping a man-eating lion will get them. King Ku even cuts the rope of their balloon before a big storm, leaving Hal and Roger in great danger. At the end of the book, after the man-eater Black Mane is captured, King Ku apologizes. He explains that his strong dislike for outsiders came from a very sad past event involving his family. He later learned that his family's tragedy was caused by someone from his own community, not by outsiders.
- Dugan: Dugan is a hunter who used to be hired to kill man-eating lions. But he often failed and shot harmless animals instead, so he was fired. He resents Hal and Roger for taking his job. To make the boys look bad, he shoots an innocent lion and blames it on them. He also unties their tent flaps, hoping a man-eater would get inside. When Dugan accidentally shoots a cow belonging to the Gula village, he tries to hide it. But the villagers find him and send him away on the first train to Nairobi, warning him not to return.
- Basa: Basa is a young man from the village of Gula. His father was killed by Black Mane, the man-eating lion. Because the lion had attacked Hal and Roger first and they escaped, Basa blames the boys for his father's death and wants revenge. Basa even attacks Hal with a knife, but Hal manages to stop him. Hal then discovers the real reason for Basa's anger: he wants to build a school in his village but doesn't have enough money. Hal generously offers to pay for the school himself, which makes Basa very happy.
Amazing Animals
Hal and Roger are known for capturing animals for zoos. Here are the animals they successfully captured in Lion Adventure:
| Species | Name | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Lion cub | Flop | His mother was killed while attacking Hal. Roger adopted him. Flop is very playful, but sometimes he doesn't realize how strong he is! |
| Male lion | Black Mane | Black Mane is Flop's father and a dangerous man-eater responsible for many deaths. At the end of the story, Roger gently guides Black Mane into a cage. Distracted by his love for his cub, Black Mane was captured without any trouble. These two lions, along with Roger's inspiring story, were sold to the Bronx Zoo for $15,000. |
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Lion Adventure Facts for Kids. Kiddle Encyclopedia.