Born Free USA Blog
by Will Travers,
Chief Executive Officer
What can you say about a big-hearted bloke who has rescued dolphins, tigers, elephants and more and whose parents once helped a lion cub from a department store by caring for him in their backyard and engineering his rightful return to Africa? You can safely say that he's got great animal instincts! In 1984, Will Travers joined his parents — "Born Free" film stars Virginia McKenna and Bill Travers — to form what became The Born Free Foundation. With knowledge, passion and compassion dripping from his every word, Will's blogs are sure to make you embrace our crusade to Keep Wildlife in the Wild ®.
“Born Free” — the New PBS Show That Will Astound You!
On Sunday evening, the PBS show “Nature” will be present “Elsa’s Legacy: The Born Free Story.”
It really is a "don’t miss" as it contains some amazing and wonderful footage from this remarkable story and (I have to admit bias here) my dear mother and late father.
"Born Free" cast and inspiration mingle:From left are Virginia McKenna, George
Adamson, Bill Travers and Joy Adamson.
With lions facing some serious challenges to their survival across so much of their African range, it could be that celebrating 50 years since the “Born Free” was originally told — and 45 years since the classic film was made — is a good time to take stock and see what needs to be done to protect the species from further decline. (Lion numbers are down by perhaps 75 percent in the last 30 years).
I don’t want lions to go the way of the tiger, and that is not a fantasy — it could become a devastating reality.
So please check for the broadcast time on Sunday. To find out when the documentary airs in your area, go to the PBS website, enter your ZIP code and look for “Elsa’s Legacy” in the Sunday listings.
If you are out, set the recorder (whatever system you have) and, please, do me one favor (and if you would be willing to do it right now while it’s fresh in your mind, that would be wonderful): If you have a website or are on Facebook or if you tweet, please tell your friends, family, supporters, colleagues, fellow professionals to watch “Elsa’s Legacy: The Born Free Story.”
And anytime through Sunday, Jan. 16, if you’re so inspired please send us your thoughts about how the book, the movie or Sunday’s show have impacted the way you think about wild animals. Please limit your submission to no more than 150 words. We’ll publish our favorite responses on our website, and you could win an autographed copy of my mum’s touching book “The Life in My Years.”
Thank you very much — for your encouragement, support and compassion.
Blogging off,
Will
