KIRONGOZI, THE MASTER HUNTER
JORGE ALVES DE LIMA
Born in 1926 to an influential Brazilian family, Jorge Alves de Lima made his first journey to French Equatorial Africa at age 22, armed with a Kodak Medalist camera and a Holland & Holland double barrel rifle.
For much of the following 20 years, Jorge roamed the African continent, establishing a formidable reputation as a professional hunter and an astute businessman, operating safari companies in Angola and Mozambique, most notably the Kirongozi Safaris. He also pursued jaguar throughout the Pantanal region in Brazil.
Jorge passed away on May 4, 2024, in the comfort of his home in São Paulo. His departure leaves behind a living legacy composed of five children, nine grandchildren, one great-granddaughter, and the Kirongozi Foundation, headquartered on his farm in Álvaro de Carvalho, in the countryside of São Paulo.
ABOUT KIRONGOZI
Kirongozi, as Jorge Alves de Lima was known in his time as a hunter, means "the master hunter" in the Kiswahili language, spoken in East Africa. This title was solidified in the 1957 documentary "Kirongozi, Mestre Caçador" (Kirongozi, Master Hunter), which featured Jorge.
In 1960, Jorge founded Kirongozi Angola Safaris Limitada, his safari company in Angola. In addition to Kirongozi Angola, Jorge was a partner in two other safari companies: Tanganika (with Stanley Lawrence-Brown) and Mozambique Safariland (with Baron Werner von Alvensleben and Mario de Abreu). Among the clients that hunted in Jorge's safari companies are the King of Spain, Juan Carlos I; Greek shipping magnate Stavros Niarchos; author Robert Ruark; Warner Bros. producer and president in Europe, Óscar Brooks; author and renowned hunter Tony Sanchez-Ariño, among others.
Today, Kirongozi gives name to Jorge's ranch in São Paulo, Brazil, which he considers his own piece of Africa. At Kirongozi, Jorge currently raises lions and tigers.