This Black Friday weekend we’re donating £5 from every order we receive to Born Free, an international wildlife charity rescuing and protecting wild animals from exploitation, and conserving threatened species and their natural habitats for generations to come.
We spoke to the founders of Born Free, Dame Virginia McKenna DBE and Will Travers OBE, on why they first set up the charity in 1964, and the work they continue to do in supporting their mission to this day.
What were the core reasons behind you initially setting up Born Free?
Virginia: My husband Bill and I had a life changing experience when we made the film Born Free in 1964. We subsequently went on to make various other wildlife-based films, including, in 1969, An Elephant Called Slowly, featuring a little wild-caught female elephant calf that we waylaid in Kenya for 6 weeks. Her final destination – the London Zoo. After filming we tried to buy her and have her returned to the wild by Daphne and David Sheldrick but, although our request was granted by the government, they said another calf could have to be caught to honour their promise to the zoo. Rather than have another elephant family put through the trauma and misery of having a calf stolen from their midst, the original calf, Pole Pole, eventually ended up at London Zoo. We told ourselves things would be alright and heard nothing more until, more than a decade later, we were alerted to the possibility that Pole Pole, now living solitarily at the zoo, might be destroyed as she had become ‘difficult to manage’. We contacted the zoo and made strenuous enquiries to try and find another place she could go to – a park in Southern Africa offered to help. But the zoo said no, claiming she might be the victim of ivory poachers (even though, by this stage, she had just one little stump of a tusk left). They did, however, agree to move her to Whipsnade Zoo, their country-park cousin. The move failed. Pole Pole damaged a foot and, under inspection a week later, ‘lost the will to live’. She was euthanised. Our outrage mirrored widespread public concern at this seemingly senseless death. And so, taking our courage in both hands, together with Will, we launched a tiny little not-for-profit called Zoo Check which would, 6 or 7 years later, become The Born Free Foundation.
Were there any initial challenges you faced when you started the charity, and how did you overcome these at the time?
Will: Our biggest challenge was credibility. We knew in our hearts that something was terribly wrong with the zoo system – the public display of wild animals in alien environments for the entertainment and so-called education of the public, but who was going to listen to two actors and a young man working in film-distribution. However, we soon discovered we were not alone. Many others, equally unhappy with the zoo industry, stepped forward, and slowly but surely, we learned about issues such as environmental enrichment, captive breeding, the paucity of zoo claims to educate and conserve, and the lack of meaningful investment by most zoos in the wild habitats that, one day, they claimed some of their animals would return to. Our take-home message was that, overwhelmingly, this was a smoke and mirrors operation, and that the traditional zoo model was not fit for purpose.
Have cultural and societal attitudes to the freedom of wild animals changed over the years?
Virginia: Yes, I believe they have. Young people especially are deeply concerned about the future of the natural world and do not see zoos as even part of the solution. Climate change issues, the biodiversity crisis are very real and present, and the public are calling for answers and action. Many are voting with their feet and staying away from the worst forms of captive wild animal exploitation. And, of course, they are exercising their power as consumers to make sure that what they buy is increasingly ethical, animal welfare friendly, and reflects their values.
You’ve both achieved so much for the freedom of wild animals over the years. is there anything from more recent times that particularly stands to you as a defining moment?
Will: There have been so many – none of which would have been possible without the overwhelming support of the public, both at home and internationally. The end of the global commercial ivory trade; an end to the use of wild animals in circuses in the UK; the closure of many marine parks that display dolphins and ‘killer whales’ in captivity; the growing pressure to prohibit the import of trophies from the trophy hunting industry; South Africa’s decision to end the ‘canned hunting’ of lions; increased efforts to ban grotesque images of wild animals abused on social media – the so-called ‘selfish selfie; pressure to end the keeping of wild animals as ‘pets’; effective conservation measures that have seen wild rhino numbers in Kenya rise from 500 several decades ago to nearly 2,000 today, and wild elephant numbers in Kenya more than double since 1989; the fact that, despite a huge increase in the human population, the number of wild tigers in India has risen by over 100% since 2004.
How can the everyday person get involved in supporting freedom for wild animals in their personal lives?
Virginia: There are so many ways. We can make our immediate surroundings more nature friendly. Even a window box can be planted with flowers that attract pollinators. We can be careful what we decide to buy. Look out for ingredients that harm nature or come from intensive farming practices that do not fully respect animal welfare. We can decide not to go to amusement facilities that exploit living animals, such as circuses and zoos. If we go on holiday, we can choose destinations that look after the natural world, support local communities, and do not place undue pressure on precious natural resources like water. We can, of course, support organisations that actively work to reduce animal suffering, compassionately conserve nature, improve the lives of marginalised communities, and work to shape wildlife and planet friendly policies – organisations like Born Free.
How do you envisage the future of Born Free and what do you think the biggest challenges will be in creating further change?
Will and Virginia: Born Free is here for the long-term. We have already committed over 40 years of our lives to protecting wild animals in need. Our ambition is not limited by what we think we can do, only by the means and resources to achieve it. The global biodiversity crisis, the widening gap between those who have and those who have not, and the lack of political will to bring about positive change are just some of the challenges we face. But we will take them on with the optimism and energy that are the hallmarks of the Born Free Family.
Find out more at bornfree.org.uk
Image Credits: Columbia Pictures Born Free georgelogan.co.uk
