Virginia McKenna OBE tells us about the brave decision she and her husband took back in 1964 to travel to Kenya, with three children in tow, to film Born Free. It became a family classic that followed true story of the rescued lioness, Elsa, who was released into the wild. Little did they know that wildlife would become their inspiration and true calling. Bearing witness to the animals they worked with being shipped to various captive establishments, they established Zoo Check, a body to prevent captive exploitation. Since then, the charity has developed into the international wildlife conservation and animal welfare charity, the Born Free Foundation. Virginia continues as Born Free’s matriarch today, responsible for encouraging generations into wildlife protection and lending her voice to campaigns against animal cruelty.

In this episode she gives a personal account of how our attitudes to animals have changed since she began campaigning, how she finds nature in every day modern life and what she hopes for the future of wildlife.