In northKenya, in 1957, Game Warden George Adamson and other hunters were trying to capture a man-eating lion, when a furious lioness charged a fellow warden. George Adamson shot her. Moments later, he realized that she had been so courageous because she had been trying to protect her three cubs who were hiding in a crevice in a rock. Since the cubs were too young to survive on their own, George took them home to his wife, Joy. Thus began the story of Elsa, the pet lioness.
An Unusual Gift
Joy Adamson was born in 1910 inSilesiaAustria-Hungary(nowOpavaCzech Republic). Although hunting was a favorite sport on her family’s estate after she shot her first deer she promised herself that she would never kill for sport again. Always ready for an adventure she traveled toKenyain 1937 where she married George Adamson Senior Game Warden of the Northern Province of Kenya. Their home near the tiny town ofIsiolo was surrounded by a thorn fence to keep out elephants lions zebras giraffes and antelope.
Joy was enchanted by the lion cubs her husband brought home from work and began to feed them milk every two hours. She named them Big One Lustica and Elsa.
All Grown Up
At three months the cubs started eating minced meat. Joy would often save tidbits for Elsa who was weaker than the other two cubs and would have missed out on her fair share. Elsa said thank you by sucking Joy’s thumbs taking care not to nip Joy with her sharp teeth.
After six months caring for the cubs became more difficult. The two larger cubs Lustica and the Big One were sent to a zoo inRotterdam but the Adamsons kept Elsa and a very close bond developed between them as they spent the next three years caring for her. She enjoyed sleeping on Joy’s bed and would hug her with her paws. She also loved knocking Joy over and pinning her down with her 300 pound (140 kg) body even though Joy tried to discourage this game.
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