George Adamson George Adamson George Adamson MBE (3 February 1906 – 20 August 1989), also known as the "Baba ya Simba" ("Father of Lions" in Swahili), was a British wildlife conservationist and author. He and his wife, Joy, are best known through the movie "Born Free" and best-selling book with the same title, which is based on the true story of Elsa the Lioness, an orphaned lioness cub they had raised and later released into the wild. Several other films have been made based on Adamson's life. George Alexander Graham Adamson was born 3 February 1906 in Etawah, India to British parents.
Born Free released in 1969. The film follows "Born Free"-actor Bill Travers as he journeys to a remote area in Kenya to visit George Adamson, and several of Adamson's lion friends. In 1974, a 13-episode American television series was broadcast by NBC, entitled "Born Free", starring Diana Muldaur and Gary Collins as Joy and George Adamson. The series was later followed by television film in 1996 called "", with Linda Purl and Chris Noth. Joy and George Adamson do not appear as the main characters in the story. "To Walk with Lions" (1999) depicts the last years of George Adamson's life, as