Kenya The Home Of Elsa The Lioness In The “Born Free Movie”

 Have you had an opportunity to watch or hear of a holly wood blockbuster movie born free? If you have watched this movie or had of it before, then its only right for you make a Kenya safari to Elsemere conservation centre to have a real wildlife safari Kenya experience at the place where this movie was born.  Elsamere Conservation Center is found south of Lake Naivasha along the Moi S Lake road.

On a Kenya tour to Elsamere conservation center visitors can see many of Joy’s paintings in the house and explore the museum which features memorabilia from the lives of the Adamson’s – delightful teas and lunches are served here. There is guest accommodation in the grounds overlooking the lake, plus activities are available such as boating and tours to local attractions.

Tracing the history of Joy and George

Born in Etawa India on 06th February 1906, George came to Kenya in 1924 and he worked various jobs which included a gold inspector, goat trader and professional hunter. He joined the Kenya wildlife services in 1938 and worked in the northern frontier district where he met joy (born Friederike Victoria Gessner) in 1940 and got married in 1944. Joy was given this name by her ex-husband who was a painter and it was he who persuaded Joy to work on her many paintings that you see when in her former home in Elsamere during a short Kenya wildlife safari.

On your Kenya wildlife safari to Elsamere conservation center, you will have a chance to listen to the intriguing story of how Elsa the lioness which began when George brought home 3 Lion cubs in 1956 – sadly, while he was on a mission into the wilderness, a Lioness had charged him out of the deep bush, in defence he shot and killed her only to find out that she was protecting her young. Raising 3 cubs was a difficult task and after 6 months, 2 of them were sent to a European zoo. The smallest cub, Elsa, remained with Joy and George. At this point, a decision was made to train and then release Elsa back into the wild.

This momentous decision would change the lives of the Adamson’s and set a benchmark for wildlife conservation in Africa. Elsa was eventually successfully released into the wild, after months of training in which she would learn how to survive on her own in the bush. Elsa became the first Lioness to do this and still make contact after her release. Joy combined her knowledge and notes with George’s diaries to write a book about Elsa – the book Born Free was published in 1960 and became a best-seller which leads to an academy award-winning movie. Joy went on to write 2 other books (about Elsa as a mother and her cubs), that promote conservation and raised money for wildlife. In 1970, Joy and George separated given due to the development of separate individual interests though they remained a close friend and would meet up and spend every Christmas together from thereon.

 

A gruesome end of the road for the two conservation icons

Unfortunately, these 2 conservation icons met their death in cold blood murder. Joy was murdered in 1980 acts in Shaba National Reserve where she was murdered by her former local employee. Her body was discovered by one of her assistants who thought she had been mauled by a wild animal but this was later discarded as her cause of death and a thorough investigation was done that led to the arrest of the real culprit. George met his death 9 years later in Kora National Park where he was killed by poachers who had kidnapped a tourist as he rushed to try to save the tourist.

You can advance your search for Africa’s big cats by with a short wildlife safari Kenya to other Africa safari destinations in Kenya such as Masai Mara National Reserve, Nairobi national reserve, Tsavo East National Park and Tsavo West National Park. East Africa being a generally savanna land, you can encounter these Africa savanna cats such as lions leopards and cheetahs with a safari visit to other east African wildlife destinations like Tanzania’s Serengeti National Park, Ngorongoro Conservation Crater, Lake Manyara National Reserve. Uganda is also home to these big cats a Uganda safari To Queen Elizabeth National Park, Murchison Falls National Park, Lake Mburo National Park And Kidepo Valley National Park gives you an opportunity to meet these African big cats. However, a Uganda safari gives you an opportunity to engage in a spectacular boat cruise to the bottom of the Murchison falls in Murchison falls national park and also in along Kazinga channel in Queen Elizabeth national park. You can also compliment your Uganda wildlife safari with an epic Uganda gorilla safari since Uganda is home to the elusive mountain gorillas. A Uganda gorilla trekking safari takes you on a Uganda safari tour journey to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park or Mgahinga Gorilla National Park which are found in southwestern Uganda. A gorilla safari Uganda to any of these national parks gives you an opportunity to meet any of the 19 gorilla families that are available for an epic Uganda gorilla tour adventure. Have