They tried again, this time staying nearby but refusing to feed her. They watched from a distance as Elsa, driven by hunger and instinct, killed her own prey. The final test came when she met a wild male lion. Instead of fearing him, Elsa greeted him. Joy and George knew then: Elsa had chosen the wild. She was free.
Releasing a hand-reared lion into the African wilderness was unheard of in the 1950s. Most experts said it was impossible. The Adamsons, however, devised a slow, patient plan. elsa the lion cub
From the beginning, Elsa was different. She was not a pet kept in a cage. The Adamsons’ home was a tented camp, and Elsa had the run of the place. She slept on Joy’s bed, wrestled with George’s boots, and chased after the camp’s dogs. She was playful, mischievous, and deeply affectionate. They tried again, this time staying nearby but
Joy Adamson wrote the story of their life together in a book titled Born Free (1960). It became an instant international bestseller, translated into dozens of languages. A few years later, the film Born Free , with its hauntingly beautiful theme song, brought Elsa’s story to millions of moviegoers. Instead of fearing him, Elsa greeted him
The most difficult test came when Elsa reached adulthood. In the wild, a lioness must integrate into a pride or establish her own territory. The Adamsons drove Elsa far from their camp to a region rich with game. They left her there, hearts breaking. Days later, a frantic Elsa appeared back at camp, having traveled nearly a hundred miles to find them.
Sadly, Elsa’s story has a bittersweet end. In 1961, just a few years after her release, Elsa fell ill. She was found weak and feverish, suffering from a tick-borne disease called babesiosis. Despite Joy’s desperate efforts and the arrival of a veterinarian, Elsa died in Joy’s arms, just four years old.
