Gareth Patterson 
Born to be Free 

‘Gareth Patterson’s love for lions shines through on every page of this beautiful tale about the irresistible call of the wild.’ – Lauren St John, author of The White Giraffe Born to be Free is an inspirational true tale of three orphaned young lions, Rafiki, Furaha and Batian. When the grand old ‘lion man of Africa’, George Adamson, passed away, the last of his lion cub orphans faced an uncertain future. Would the cubs have to spend their entire lives behind bars in a zoo, or would they have a free life in the wild, as George had intended for them? Lion expert Gareth Patterson rescues George’s cubs and, by living as a human member of the little pride, Gareth prepares to introduce the young lions back into the wild.A moving story, Born to be Free instils in children a loveand wonder for one of the world’s most beautiful creatures, while also drawing attention to the plight of lions at the hand of mankind. Many years ago, it was estimated that some 250 000lions existed across Africa. Today it is thought that only 20 000lions remain. Due to the actions of poachers, trophy hunters and conflict with people because of their livestock, the mighty king of the animals is in real trouble. The title of this book is Born to be Free and that is what all lions and other wild animals should be – free. What would we say to our children’s children if the last lion was gone – forever gone? That is why all of us must hold the lionin our hearts and do our best to protect Rafiki’s kind.The book features photographs that illustrate the authenticity of this inspirational story. This year is the 30th anniversary of the publishing of Gareth’s very first book, Cry for the Lions.