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  Soon after we had gone to bed we heard a lion roaring upstream and observed that Elsa at once left the camp. Next morning, 13 September, George called me early to his tent and there I saw Elsa, in a terrible state, her head, chest, shoulders and paws covered with deep bleeding gashes. She appeared to be very weak and when I knelt beside her to examine her wounds, she only looked at me. We were very much surprised for we had not heard any growls during the night and were quite unaware that a fight had taken place. When I began to try to dress her wounds Elsa struggled to her feet and slowly dragged herself towards the river, obviously in great pain. I went at once to mix some M and B tablets with her food hoping to counter the risk of sepsis in this way, since any external treatment was obviously going to hurt and irritate her. When everything was ready I spent twenty minutes looking for her but could find no trace of her. Then I had to start off to meet our guests, leaving George to search for the missing cubs. It was the worst moment to have visitors – let alone film producers – and I feared that they might have no chance of doing any work. I greeted them with this depressing news and soon realized that we had been more than lucky in finding two such animal lovers as David and Jeff.

  We arrived in camp at lunchtime and found George who had just returned from a fruitless search for the cubs. While our guests settled in I went to look for Elsa and found her under a thick bush near the studio. She was breathing very fast and lay quite still as I swished the flies off her wounds. I went back to camp to get water and to mix the M and B tablets with her meat. When David saw my preparations he offered to help, and walked with me to the studio carrying the basin of water. I made him put it down a short distance from Elsa and then I took over.

  Poor Elsa, I had never before seen her in so much pain. She made no effort to raise her head and it was only when I lifted it that she began to drink; then she lapped for a long time. After that she ate the meat but made it very plain that she did not want company, so we left her.

  Since there was nothing more we could do for Elsa, George and I set out to look for the cubs on the other side of the river. We walked shouting all the names by which we address Elsa and also calling Jespah. Finally, behind a bush, we caught sight of one cub, but as we approached it bolted. In order not to frighten it further we decided to go home and hope that the cubs would make their own way back to their mother. Jespah was the first to do so; about six in the evening he crossed the river and rushed up to Elsa, then we heard another cub miaowing from the far bank. Elsa heard it too, and dragged herself to the riverbank and began calling to it. It was Gopa and when he saw his mother he swam across. I provided some meat which the little lions devoured, but Elsa would not touch it. While Jespah and Gopa were eating we took our guests for a stroll along the river and were much surprised on our return to find Elsa on the roof of the Land Rover which was parked in front of our tents. We had our drinks and our supper within a few yards of her but she took no notice of us. We remained anxious about Little Elsa until some time after we had gone to bed George spotted her coming into the camp.

  Soon after midnight the family moved off and a little later we heard the roars of the fierce lioness. During the following day Elsa kept away, and we knew why, for George saw the fierce lioness on the Big Rock. That night we again heard her roaring. We were very worried about Elsa, so, as soon as it was light, George went upriver to try to find her, while I went in the opposite direction accompanied by Makedde, Nuru and a Game Scout; we carried water with us in case we found her. We picked up Elsa’s spoor half a mile beyond the Border Rock, which was farther than we had ever known her to go. She reconnoitred the neighbourhood to see whether all was safe and then the cubs appeared. They were terribly thirsty. I could not pour the water out quickly enough and I had some difficulty in avoiding getting scratched and in preventing the plastic water bowl from being torn out of my hands.

  When we started for home and rejoined the boys who had stayed behind, both Elsa and Jespah sniffed very suspiciously at the Game Scout. He followed my advice and stood absolutely rigid but his face betrayed less ease than his action suggested. As soon as it was possible I sent him ahead back to camp with Makedde.

  Elsa’s wounds had improved but still needed dressing. It took a lot of coaxing to get the family to follow us and we made our way slowly back to camp. Nuru stayed with me as gun bearer, but when I thought we were nearly home I told him to go on and warn David of our coming, so that he would be able to film the lions crossing the river. After he had gone I felt a little uneasy and then became really worried for I found that I had miscalculated the distance and had lost myself in the bush. By then it was midday and very hot and the lions stopped under every bush to pant in the shade. I knew that the best thing to do was to find the nearest lugga and follow it, for it must lead to the river from which I would be able to get my bearings. Fairly soon I came upon a narrow lugga and walked along between its steep banks. Elsa followed me and the cubs scampered along some way behind her. I had turned a bend when I suddenly found myself standing face to face with a rhino. There was no question of ‘jumping nimbly aside and allowing the charging beast to pass’ as one is supposed to do in such encounters, so I turned and ran back along my tracks just as fast as I could with the snorting creature puffing behind me. At last I saw a little gap in the bank and before I knew I had done it, I was up it and running into the bush. At this moment the rhino must have seen Elsa for it swerved abruptly, turned round and crashed up the opposite side. Elsa stood very still watching the pair of us. This was very lucky for me and I was extremely glad that she had not followed her usual habit of chasing any rhino she saw.

  A few moments later I was greatly relieved to see Nuru coming towards me. I was going to thank him for running to my rescue, but before I had time to speak he told me that he, too, had met a rhino and been chased by it and that this was what had brought him to where I was. We had a good laugh over our frights and then, keeping close together, we went back to the camp.

  We found it deserted, for when Makedde had come in and told them that I had found Elsa, George, David and Jeff had set out to help me. I sent a scout after them to tell them that we had all reached home safely. Meanwhile, Elsa and the cubs had a game in the river and got nice and cool after their long hot walk. Then they retired with a carcase into the bush and remained there till about midnight when they crossed over to the other side of the river.

  Assuming that there would be no opportunity of filming the lions till late the next day we spent the morning photographing hyrax on the rocks. We returned hot and exhausted to a belated lunch and then went down to the studio, where camp beds had been put out for us so that we could enjoy a siesta. The beds were set out in a row; mine was on the outside, David’s in the middle and George’s beyond his. Jeff was some way off loading the cameras. Soon I fell asleep but woke up very suddenly to find a wet Elsa sitting on top of me, licking me affectionately and keeping me a prisoner under her immense weight; simultaneously David took a leap over George and went to join Jeff. Between them they quickly got the cameras working. Elsa made a bound on to George, greeted him affectionately and then walked in a most dignified manner up to the tents and settled herself inside one of them. She completely ignored the presence of our guests and behaved in the same way later in the evening when we were having our drinks. She had been inside a tent with Jespah and coming out passed within six inches of Jeff’s feet, but did not take the slightest notice of him; so far as she was concerned he might not have been there.

  Next morning we followed her spoor and found her halfway up the Whuffing Rock sleeping. As we did not wish to disturb her, we went home and only came back after tea. This time we took with us a sufficient number of cameras to take films from every angle.

  We were very lucky for she and the cubs could not have been more obliging and posed beautifully on the saddle of the rock. Finally, Elsa came down and this time she greeted all of us, including David and Jeff, by rubbing her head gently against our knees. She stayed with u
s until it got dark and we went back to camp, but the cubs, possibly made nervous by the presence of strangers, stayed on the rock.

  Although Elsa had not seemed upset by being filmed I wondered whether she would come for her evening meal. Lately if even one of her favourite boys was visible she had kept away from the camp. I need not have worried; just as I was going to explain to our guests that she might very well not turn up I was nearly knocked over by her stormy greeting. The fact that she appeared confirmed my impression that while she had become much more nervous of Africans she did not seem in the least suspicious of Europeans.

  I mixed a dish of her favourite meat with some cod-liver oil and was taking it to her when Jespah ambushed me and licked the dish.

  While this was happening Jeff was testing the sound recorder and happened to run through some recordings of the fierce lioness roaring. Jespah cocked his ears and tilted his head sideways as he listened attentively to the hated voice. Then he left his titbits and rushed to warn his mother of the danger.

  On the following afternoon we again filmed Elsa on the rock and had further proof of her friendliness towards David and Jeff: this time she brought the cubs to play with us. I was most interested to observe that Jespah reacted just as Elsa used to when she was a cub; he knew at once whether someone liked him, felt a bit nervous of him or was really frightened, and treated him accordingly. David, I am sorry to say, he singled out for stalking and ambushing, and most of his time was spent trying to dodge Jespah. It was a great pity it was too dark to get a film of this game.

  On their last evening our guests said goodbye to Elsa while she was sitting on the Land Rover; they shook her paw and I felt that she had become more to them than a mere film attraction. I was most grateful to both David and Jeff for all the tact and kindness they had shown while making their film.

  21. Elsa Educates the Cubs

  On the afternoon of 21 September, George and I and the Toto met the family in the bush. Elsa greeted us as usual and Jespah licked both of us, but when he went on to lick the Toto Elsa stepped disapprovingly between the two of them. This confirmed that her attitude had altered for she had become as fond of the Toto by now as she was of Nuru and Makedde; since the birth of the cubs she had objected when they approached Africans or vice versa. Now, obviously, the ban had been extended to the Toto.

  The next afternoon we saw the family playing in the river. While the cubs splashed about and fought over floating sticks Elsa placed herself near to the Toto in a position from which she could keep an eye on all of us.

  As we walked home Jespah became very much interested in the Toto’s rifle and persistently stalked and ambushed him. Elsa came to the rescue several times and sat on her son long enough to allow the Toto to get well ahead unmolested.

  That evening the tsetse flies were particularly annoying and Elsa flung herself on the ground inside my tent miaowing for help in getting rid of them. I came in to perform my task but Jespah and Gopa had already rushed up to their mother and were rolling round squashing the flies. When I approached Elsa they snarled at me and when I began to deal with the tsetse she began licking the cubs no doubt to quiet their jealousy. Usually, I was allowed to do this for her, and any help was gratefully accepted. I was therefore surprised when next morning while I was watching the cubs enjoying a game with their mother Elsa spanked me twice and even jumped at me.

  During the night she only came into camp for a quick visit after we had gone to bed, and did not appear again till the following evening when she arrived with the cubs, but was very aloof, collected her meat, dragged it out of my sight and left soon afterwards.

  When I returned the next evening from a walk on which I had found many fresh elephant spoors I saw Jespah busily reducing my only topee to pulp. This was a bore as I needed it when I went out in the hot sun. Elsa, perhaps to make up for her son’s naughtiness, was particularly affectionate. We sat for a long time together near the river watching a kingfisher. It seemed to have no fear of either of us and came very close.

  It was about this time that I began to notice how very jealous Gopa was growing, not only of me but also of his brother. When Jespah played with their mother he would push his way between the two of them and when Elsa came close to me he crouched and snarled until she went over to him.

  After George went away I slept in the Land Rover close to which the carcase was chained at night; by doing so I hoped to preserve it from chance predators.

  One night I was woken up by the sound of breaking trees and the trumpeting of elephant. They were down by the river, between the studio and the tents, but gradually moved nearer which worried me, for I could not think what I should do if they came up to the tents. Elsa sat with her cubs by my ‘sleeper’ facing the noise and perhaps harbouring similar misgivings. We all listened intently. Suddenly I saw a huge shape moving along the top of the bank; it stopped and stood still for what seemed an endless time, then it vanished into the darkness. Elsa and the cubs kept as quiet as I did and remained in their ‘guarding’ position until the sound of crashing had ceased. Then I thought I saw her go off.

  Soon afterwards my torchlight was reflected in a pair of green eyes which gradually came closer. Assuming it was a prowling predator, I got out of the car intending to cover the carcase with thorns, but before I had dragged one big branch into position Elsa bounced on me. I climbed back into my bedroom, then when she and the cubs seemed to have finished their meal and gone away, I came out again for I was determined not to give a free meal to the jackals. Once more Elsa jumped on me and defended her kill. We spent the rest of the night watching each other. She won the game but probably at the cost of eating a lot more than she wanted.

  By October both Billy Collins and I felt that it would be useful to meet and discuss the plans for the sequel to Born Free.

  I went to Nairobi to fetch him; we reached the camp at supper time and found the lion family in front of the tents eating. I was a little apprehensive, but Elsa welcomed us both in the most friendly fashion and then returned to her dinner. We spent the rest of the evening within a few yards of her but she paid no attention to us.

  The next day was very hot indeed and the bush was depressingly dry, so that even the studio, which is usually cool, was oppressive when we went there in the morning and started our work. Although we were much distracted by baboons, antelopes and various birds, we achieved a lot and it was not till after tea that we went to look for Elsa. We did not find her on our way out, but as we were returning to camp along a little game path I suddenly felt her and Jespah rubbing themselves against my legs.

  Elsa treated Billy just as she did us, but Jespah was greatly intrigued by his white socks and tennis shoes. Crouching low and hiding behind every available tuft he prepared to ambush him, but we intervened, so eventually he became disgusted at being thwarted and went off and joined the other cubs. Elsa spent the evening on the roof of the Land Rover.

  Next morning she woke me up by licking me through my torn mosquito net. How had she got into my tent? I was worried in case she might also have tried to visit Billy, and shouted to him. He replied that Elsa had only just left him. At this moment the Toto arrived with my morning tea. Seeing him, Elsa stepped slowly off my bed and moved to the wicker gate of the thorn enclosure. There she waited until the Toto pushed it aside for her, then she walked out sedately, collected the cubs and they trotted off towards the big rocks.

  I dressed quickly and went with some apprehension to find out how Billy had fared. He told me that Elsa had squeezed her way through the wicker gate of his enclosure which we had barricaded with thorn and then jumped on to the Land Rover. Only when she realized that she couldn’t get at him had she gone off to visit me.

  She had never paid the slightest attention to David Attenborough or to Jeff who had slept in the same position. The only people whose beds she insisted on sharing were George’s and mine.

  In the afternoon we visited the family which we found on the Whuffing Rock. As soon as Elsa and Jespah
spotted us they came down and gave us a great welcome. Makedde was with us and Elsa greeted him too, but by stepping briskly between them she pointedly prevented Jespah from rubbing his head against Makedde’s legs. Gopa and Little Elsa stayed on the rock, but after we had walked some hundred yards into the bush Elsa called them and they came down, but kept out of our sight. Only when we reached the river did they appear, and then they behaved very quietly, sitting in the water to cool themselves while watching us attentively. Jespah later joined Elsa and was very affectionate but on our way home his antics delayed us till we became benighted. Although Billy had discarded his white socks he still fascinated Jespah who sat himself squarely in front of his feet, looking up at him with the most cheeky expression and making all progress impossible. Billy tried to make a series of detours to avoid him but in vain for the next moment Jespah was always at his feet. Elsa intervened once or twice and rolled her son over, but this only encouraged him to be more mischievous. George had gone ahead but suddenly felt himself clasped from behind by two paws and nearly tumbled over. Jespah certainly had a good evening’s fun! It was only when we reached camp and he settled to his dinner that we were left in peace.

  The 12 October was the last day which Billy was to spend in camp, so we made a determined effort to find the family; we failed but on our return we found Elsa and Jespah in camp. Billy patted Elsa as she lay on the Land Rover and stroked her head, something which as a rule she only allows me to do.

  During the second week of October, George returned to camp and for several days life went on uneventfully until one night the fierce lioness and her mate announced their arrival by impressive roarings from the Big Rock. Elsa took the hint and at once moved her family across the river.

  Early next morning George saw the fierce lioness standing on the Big Rock clearly outlined against the sky. She allowed him to come within four hundred yards of her and then made off.