Though I have not yet had the pleasure of reading the book, or meeting its author, I am very excited about the publication of Virginia McKenna’s newest book, The Life in My Years.
Virginia is the mother of Born Free USA’s CEO, Will Travers, a celebrated and respected actress, and an icon in the international animal protection movement. People in the U.S. may not be as familiar with her as people in her native England so I wanted to take a moment to reflect on some of what I know about her, and some of the amazing stories she and her family have shared with us:
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- Virginia was the graceful star of the 1966 wildlife classic, Born Free, which inspired the public and wildlife filmmakers around the world to document and protect wildlife wherever possible. It also garnered her a Golden Globe nomination for her portrayal of wildlife conservationist Joy Adamson.
- After the tragic death of an elephant named Pole Pole (whom Virginia and Bill knew quite well, as she was one of the young stars of the movie An Elephant Called Slowly) in the London Zoo, Virginia and her husband Bill Travers helped found the Zoo Check campaign in the 1980s, which ultimately led to the founding of the Born Free Foundation in the early 1990s. Thanks to their efforts, elephants are no longer kept at London Zoo.
- After Virginia and her family became aware of the plight of a young lion named Christian, grown too large to kept as a “pet” by the two young men who had rescued him from a London department store, they worked hard to find a way to return him to the wild. After a time of living in McKenna’s garden, the family was able to return him to Kenya, the story of which they filmed in a documentary called Christian the Lion. The story has recently become a YouTube sensation, and if you have missed it, you certainly should watch it now.
I know there is a lot more to Virginia’s story, and I am looking forward to reading the book to learn more about this incredible woman. She’s done and seen things most of us deem impossible or only dream of — yet, she shows us anything is possible.
The book has just become available in the U.K. and is not yet available in U.S. stores. However, we are happy to have a small number to share with you. For a very limited time, when you make a donation of $100 or more, we’ll provide you with an autographed copy of Virginia’s book as our thank you.
Thanks to you all for reading this blog and thank you to Virginia for being an example we all can look up to.
Zibby