Birth of Born Free Foundation
It was an unforgettable movie of the 1960s – the classic wildlife film ‘Born Free’ based on a best- seller by Joy Adamson relating the true story of George and Joy Adamson’s battle to return Elsa the lioness, to the wild.
The stars of the movie in addition to Elsa, of course, were Bill Travers and Virginia McKenna who journeyed all the way from Britain to Kenya for the ‘shooting’. Interacting closely with lions would change their lives, triggering a passion to ensure that wild creatures belong in the wild.
This led to the birth of the Born Free Foundation in 1984 and Gabriel who has been with this charity since 2009 has worked with Virginia. Bill is no more.
“She is very active even though now she has stepped down as the President, handing over the reins to her son, Will,” says Gabriel.
Starting off with the ‘mission’ of preventing individual animal suffering and keeping wildlife in the wild and rescue and care of animals in trouble, the Born Free Foundation has gradually moved into conservation and education as its main tasks.
Gabriel had been propelled towards wildlife conservation after living on “barren” Malta, located in the Mediterranean between Sicily and North Africa, experiencing first-hand an island without any wildlife.
Born in the United Kingdom (UK), he had moved to Malta, at the tender age of 6, as his father was from there.