How Born Free began
- Bill Travers and Virginia McKenna reach out to Pole Pole at London Zoo. Even in her distress, she remembered them
Born Free has a really special history. We’re totally unique! Back in 1964 our founders Bill Travers and Virginia McKenna starred in a film called ‘Born Free’. The top film told the true story of Elsa the lioness and her return to the wild in Kenya. The film was a smash hit! Millions of people watched it and learnt to love wildlife. Bill and Virginia realised animals belonged in the wild, not kept in tiny cages.
A few years later Bill and Virginia starred in another film called ‘An Elephant Called Slowly’ (1969). This was also set in Kenya and told the story of a baby elephant called Pole Pole. After the film Pole Pole was sent to London Zoo. This made Virginia and Bill very sad and they did everything they could to save her.
Years later they visited Pole Pole at the zoo. The elephant was only aged 16 but had grown sad and lonely. She died just a year later. In the wild she could have lived to more than 60. Bill and Virginia were very upset. “It was one of the most heartbreaking moments of our life,” recalls Virginia.
In memory of Pole Pole Bill and Virginia launched the charity Zoo Check, with the help of their son Will Travers in 1984. Today Zoo Check has become the Born Free Foundation. Will Travers is our charity’s chief executive (see his blog) and Virginia is the chair of our trustees.
Our wildlife projects
Zoo Check
Born Free believes wild animals belong in the wild, not kept in tiny cages. We think zoos are old-fashioned and cruel! Our Zoo Check team stops animals from suffering in captivity. Zoo Check works all around the world to put an end to zoos, animal circuses and marine parks. Zoo Check stops animals being exploited in adverts, TV programmes and films.
Find out more about Zoo Check here.
Elephants
It is hard to believe but some people want to kill elephants for their ivory tusks. Born Free fights the terrible trade in ivory. We fund brave rangers who protect elephants from poachers. Born Free also moves elephants from places of danger to safe new homes. We help out when wild elephants cause problems for local communities and try to eat their crops. Born Free cares for orphan baby elephants. We try to stop wild elephants from being sent to zoos.
Find out more about our Elephant project here.
Big Cats
Big cats are beautiful but thousands suffer in zoos and circuses. Born Free rescues lions, leopards and tigers lives of misery from tiny cages. We give each one expert care at our special sanctuaries. They rely on our help for the rest of their lives. Born Free works in Africa to protect wild lions and in India to save rare tigers. We think hunting animals for sport is terrible and try to stop people from shooting lions and leopards. Born Free helps out when wild lions and tigers cause problems for local communities.
Find out more about our Big Cat project here.
Great Apes
Great apes are our closest relatives! It is unbelievable but poachers kill chimps and gorillas for meat and sell their babies as pets. Born Free fights the terrible trade in ape ‘bushmeat’ and exotic pets. We give orphan young apes the special care they need at sanctuaries. Born Free protects rare wild gorillas conservation. We rescue baboons and vervet monkeys in Malawi and return them to the wild in Zambia. Born Free helped the United Nation create their important Great Ape Survival Project.
Find out more about our Ape project here.
Wolves
Born Free thinks wolves are amazing! We protects the rare and beautiful Ethiopian wolf. We work out solutions when wolves cause people problems. We hate the hunting of wild animals and try to stop people from shooting wolves.
Find out more about our Wolf project here.
Bears
Born Free rescues orphan polar bear cubs and returns them to the wild. We try to stop people killing bears to use bits of their body for Asian medicine. We help rescue bears from farms in China and Vietnam where their ‘bile’ is also used for Asian medicine. We help care for rescued dancing bears in India.
Find out more about our Bear project here.
Marine Animals
Born Free protects rare basking sharks, the second biggest fish in the world! We also fund the conservation of endangered marine turtles, dugongs and whale sharks. Born Free protects wild orcas (killer whales), helps rescue whales, dolphins and seals that have become stranded in the UK. We try to stop wild dolphins being captured and sold to marine parks.
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