CELEBRATING VIRGINIA

A world-acclaimed actress, Virginia has been a star of screen and stage for more than 70 years.

Virginia is best known for her career and life-defining role as Joy Adamson in the internationally acclaimed film Born Free with her husband, our Co-Founder Bill Travers MBE. Together, they learned to love lions and Africa, and went on to star in other wildlife classics:

Ring of Bright Water

Celebrating Virginia

An Elephant Called Slowly

Virginia’s other leading acting credits include: Cruel Sea Carve Her Name With Pride Town Like Alice The King and I Sliding Doors Golden Years

You Can Help

Do you share Virginia’s vision to create a kinder, better world? Visit bornfree.org.uk to donate and get more involved at bornfree.org.uk/circle-ofcompassion or email joanne@bornfree.org.uk to join Virginia’s exclusive Circle.

Making Born Free was a life-changing experience and, in 1984, Virginia, Bill and their eldest son Will went on to found Zoo Check, the charity that would evolve into the Born Free Foundation.

Passionately devoted to ending captive wild animal suffering and protecting wild animals in their natural habitat, Virginia has always been actively involved in Born Free:

• Investigating zoos

• Helping on lion rescues

• Lobbying decision-makers

• Joining rallies and marches

• Speaking at our events

I have been reflecting on the strange times we are living in. First the two years, on and off, of Covid lockdown. Did this denial of freedom give us some understanding of the ‘lockdown’ experienced by wild animals in captivity for years, usually with no chance of release? Perhaps not an issue many people think about. And, of course, there is the challenge of old age, when going out, driving a car and taking a plane may become less possible.

Relating this to an aspect of Born Free’s work is, for me, always uplifting. I often look at our website – which tells the stories of some of the beautiful animals we have rescued – and remember my unforgettable visits to see them at Shamwari in South Africa and Ensessa Kotteh in Ethiopia. Spacious, natural enclosures replacing the grim iron bars of the cage.

It is not only the lack of space and choice that captive animals so often endure, but loneliness. Of course, in the wild some species are solitary, but they don’t live in cages. I mentioned, a while ago, my visit to the Pata Store in Bangkok in 2006, which has a zoo on the top two floors. It is deeply shocking – typified by the female gorilla brought there in 1992. Her companion died in 2007. The Aspinall Foundation offered to rehome her but was rejected.

There are countless animals in captivity, worldwide, kept in deprived and unacceptable conditions. And, as we know, many others born and reared for the ‘canned hunting’ trade. Their fate is predictable and should shame us all.

When my husband Bill, and I, went to Kenya in 1964, to make the film Born Free, little did we know that, in 1968, we would make another film with the director James Hill

– An Elephant Called Slowly. Pole Pole, the little elephant in the film, had been caught from the wild as a gift to London Zoo and we were allowed to have her in the film prior to her departure. Filming over, we asked if we could buy her – for eventual return to the wild. We were told we could, but another young elephant would have to be captured – impossible to agree to.

A few years later, Pole Pole was living solitarily at London Zoo and we asked if she could be moved to Whipsnade, where there were other elephants. This was agreed. Tragically, she was kept standing so long in her travelling crate, she collapsed and had to be jacked up on to her feet. Finally, indoors, she was examined under anaesthetic and put to sleep. They said she had ‘lost the will to live’. As many of you know, her death – 40 years ago this October – was the start of the rest of our lives and the beginning of our charity.

Dame Virginia McKenna Co-Founder & Trustee

You Can Help

Virginia warmly invites you to join her Circle of Compassion, an inspiring yet select network of just 50 people with a passion for wild animals, on a mission to support wildlife. Contact joanne@bornfree.org.uk

Introducing our new initiative for a select group of like-minded people who share our passion to end the captive exploitation of wild animals and keep wildlife safe in the wild. It’s an opportunity discover more about our work, meet our team, get to know us better and help take Born Free to the next level.

You can Join Our Pride and be an inaugural Born Free Champion with a minimum gift of £1,000 a year.

“We cannot do what needs to be done for wild animals without you. We need people who share our values – who want to be an integral part of the change we wish to see and be directly informed of the work we are doing.

“It’s all about collective impact and helping Born Free where we need it most. Born Free Champions fund our most important work and share our vision for a kinder, better world. Virginia and I would be thrilled to have you as part of this very special initiative.”

Will Travers OBE

Executive President

Exclusive benefits include:

• Unique pin badge

• Personal updates

• Annual lecture

• Special invitations

• Dedicated contact at Born Free

For More Details

Visit bornfree.org.uk/champions or contact Joanne Bartholomew on 01403 240170 or joanne@bornfree.org.uk georgelogan.co.uk, garyrobertsphotography.com

“Drought is impacting our work at the centre, and human-wildlife conflict is worsening because wild animals in search of food and water can destroy crops and scavenge near people. Our team has to work hard to pump enough water for our rescued animals.”

With your help, Born Free runs sanctuaries in Ethiopia and South Africa, has partner sanctuaries in Italy, South Africa and India, and supports rescue facilities around the world. But, running a sanctuary comes with many challenges and these are increasingly exacerbated by climate change.

At Ensessa Kotteh, our sanctuary in Ethiopia, long dry seasons make it difficult to source enough water to run the centre – home to over 150 rescued cheetahs, lions, hyenas, monkeys, large tortoises and more. Plans are now underway for the installation of a bore hole to dramatically improve water collection.

In South Africa, our two sanctuaries for lions and leopards are based at Shamwari Private Game Reserve, but “It’s the driest it has been in 30 years,” our Centre Manager Catherine Gillson reports. “The river that used to flow through the reserve has been dry for years, and trucks have to deliver water to reserve dams for our animals.”

Sanctuaries around the world are taking a hit due to flooding. In Lake Victoria, Uganda, Ngamba Island Chimpanzee Sanctuary has built an emergency wall to stop high water endangering chimps. In Cameroon, recent floods at Limbe Wildlife Centre damaged the centre and – worryingly – destroyed part of a flood defense, previously in place for ten years.

Staff working at other centres struggle with unseasonal weather and unbearably hot temperatures, with animals suffering too – spending increasing time in the shade. Greece has just experienced an unusually warm winter and mighty Kyriakos, our adopted bear at Arcturos sanctuary, didn’t begin hibernation as usual. He instead wandered his forest enclosure, apparently confused.

Such issues will only become more pronounced unless concerted action is taken to mitigate climate change. Meanwhile, increasing extremes mean Born Free and our colleagues are forced to redirect vital funds to address the impact of climate change. Please help!

Flo Blackbourn Rescue & Care Officer

Find Out More

Please adopt one of our rescued animals –bornfree.org.uk/adopt and contact Will Travers if you or your company could sponsor a life-saving borehole for Ensessa Kotteh – will@bornfree.org.uk