Bundarrah Days

HOW did the ABC miss the big story about Anthony "Ace" Bourke?

In August 2003 veteran journo George Negus explored Ace's family background and his links to the settlement of Sydney.

But he failed to uncover the story which by now probably represents the greatest number of YouTube hits ever, about 6 million.

It's the story of Ace Bourke, his mate John Rendell and their pet lion cub, Christian.

The Daily Telegraph tells it like this:

Christian the lion was purchased in 1969 by two Australians living in London, John Rendall and Anthony 'Ace' Bourke from Harrods department store, when they discovered him for sale in exotic pets department and, concerned for his conditions and fate, decided to buy him.

Rendall, Bourke and their girlfriends cared for the lion until it was a year old but his increasing size and the cost of looking after him led them to realise they could not keep him in London for much longer.

Bill Travers and Virginia McKenna, stars of the film Born Free, visited Rendall and Bourke's furniture shop, who suggested that they ask the assistance of George Adamson, the Kenyan conservationist, to help them rehabilitate Christian into the wild at his compound at Kora National Reserve.

Adamson slowly introduced Christian to an older lion 'Boy' and subsequently to a female cub in order to form the nucleus of a new pride.

This approach was successful and over the course of several years the pride established itself in the region around Kora.

When Rendall and Bourke were informed by Adamson of the successful result in 1971, they traveled to Kenya to pay one last visit to Christian in order to say goodbye.

Adamson warned them that it would most likely be a wasted trip as he had not seen Christian's pride for nine months.

However they discovered when they reached Kora that Christian and his pride had returned to Adamson's compound the day before their arrival.

Rendall said, "We called him and he stood up and started to walk towards us very slowly. Then, as if he had become convinced it was us, he ran towards us, threw himself on to us, knocked us over, knocked George over and hugged us, like he used to, with his paws on our shoulders."

Here's the video: Note that Ace is mistakenly named Ace Berg (not Bourke) in this video.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=adYbFQFXG0U

It's a testament to these two Aussies blokes that this story has taken so long to emerge. They could have have made a personal fortune but instead any money they raise will go go to the George Adamson Foundation. How come these blokes are not Australians Of The Year?

And to good old George Negus - how did you miss the real yarn?