Elsa The Lion Cub | HD |

Releasing a hand-reared lion into the African wilderness was unheard of in the 1950s. Most experts said it was impossible. The Adamsons, however, devised a slow, patient plan.

Yet, Joy and George never forgot that Elsa was not a domestic cat. As Elsa grew into a powerful 300-pound lioness, they faced an impossible question: Could she ever return to the wild? elsa the lion cub

Sadly, Elsa’s story has a bittersweet end. In 1961, just a few years after her release, Elsa fell ill. She was found weak and feverish, suffering from a tick-borne disease called babesiosis. Despite Joy’s desperate efforts and the arrival of a veterinarian, Elsa died in Joy’s arms, just four years old. Releasing a hand-reared lion into the African wilderness

Elsa was not born in a zoo or a circus. She was born in the wild, under a rocky outcrop in the Northern Frontier District of Kenya. Her mother, however, had become a man-eater, killing livestock and humans alike. After the lioness was shot in self-defense by game warden George Adamson, he and his wife, Joy, discovered three tiny, blind lion cubs left behind. Yet, Joy and George never forgot that Elsa

They began by taking Elsa on long walks away from camp, teaching her to hunt. They would drag a dead zebra through the bush, encouraging Elsa to track it. They watched, with bated breath, as she first clumsily pounced on a guinea fowl, then later, successfully stalked and killed a young impala.

From the beginning, Elsa was different. She was not a pet kept in a cage. The Adamsons’ home was a tented camp, and Elsa had the run of the place. She slept on Joy’s bed, wrestled with George’s boots, and chased after the camp’s dogs. She was playful, mischievous, and deeply affectionate.