Virginia McKenna, the African queen

At 90, the actress is still saving the wildlife she fell in love with, filming Born Free, over 50 years ago. By Roderick Gilchrist

- Roderick Gilchrist

Virginia McKenna celebrates her 90th birthday on 7th June. The Great and the Good – including Joanna Lumley, explorer Sir Ranulph Fiennes and Carrie Symonds, the Prime Minister’s fiancée – are lobbying for her to be made a dame in recognition of her inspirational work for animal conservation.

‘Goodness,’ says a surprised Virginia. ‘I have no desire for personal honours.

‘I have been privileged to help wonderful animals and gained immense happiness when we’ve given them back their dignity and space in their natural environment. That’s my reward.’

It’s 37 years since Virginia, her husband Bill Travers and their eldest son, Will, founded Zoo Check which became the animal charity Born Free. It took the name from her 1966 Oscar-winning film about Elsa, an orphaned lion cub successfully rehomed in the wild by Kenyan game wardens George and Joy Adamson, author of the original book Born Free (1960).

Born Free’s hauntingly beautiful title song, sung by Matt Monro, helped boost our relationship with the natural world.

The first Zoo Check event was in a Chelsea pub in 1984, with an auction conducted by Ronnie Corbett, raising £2,000. Today it has 200 employees and the annual £5m income saves wild animals trapped in circuses and zoo cages. It rehouses them in sanctuaries on the African savanna.

Born Free and Virginia have just had a significant success. After they lobbied for nearly 25 years, the South African government has just banned ‘canned hunting’ – shooting lions bred in captivity, released in pens behind wire.