Our History

Brief History
Patterson's Safari Camp has been constructed near a site of great historical significance.
During the late 19th century when the British took on the task to build the first railway (The Uganda Railway) from Kenya to Uganda in 1896. The chief engineer in charge, Lt. Col. John Henry Patterson (1865 - 1947) was assigned to the project for construction of the Tsavo Bridge. However work was hindered by two maneless lions known as the 'Man-eaters of Tsavo' who, for nine months waged a savage war against the railway by carrying off and devouring many of the workmen whist asleep in the camps at night. The locals believed they were not beasts but devils as they managed to bypass thorny fences and camp fires and any traps the workers built, failed to catch and kill them.

The lions managed to halt the work on the construction of the Tsavo bridge for three weeks as the workers fled Tsavo in fear of their lives.

Col. Patterson, after many attempts to kill the lions finally shot and killed the first lion on December 9th 1898 which measured nine feet, eight inches (3 metres) from nose to tip of tail, and it stood just short of four feet (122 centimetres) high. Patterson killed the second lion three weeks later, however the skins of both the lions were damaged by thorns and bullets. Fortunately the construction crew returned and work resumed to complete the Tsavo Bridge in February 1899. The workers wanted to give Col. Patterson a cash reward, which he refused, they then presented him with a silver bowl as a token of their appreciation for killing the Maneaters.

Later Col. Patterson gave lectures to various organizations on his adventures, he sold the Lion skins for then a large sum of $5000 to The Field Museum in Chicago U.S.A in 1924.

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Comfort in the heart of the bush