Joy Adamson, a German national, lived and worked in Kenya in the 1950's and 60's alongside her husband, who was a game warden at the time.
They actually adopted three young female lion cubs after their mother was killed by poachers, sent two off to zoos in Europe, and kept one, naming her Elsa, and rearing her on their ranch.
I read the three books which came from that experience, starting with "Born Free"; it became a hit movie, and was my first attempt at a long "adult" book. My mother chose it for me to read in fifth grade, after I had picked "The Andremeda Strain".
Wild animals are wild. They, like us, recognize their pride, or pack, or den. In this case, the woman was one of his pride, and therefore loved and repsected by the animal.
There was a thread recently where one of our members adopted a dog which, for years, had been neglected by its owner.
Thankfully, there are many people here who respect, love and admire wildlife.
