Gillie & Marc life size bronze 'CHRISTIAN'

This beautiful Born Free Foundation bronze lion sculpture is available to purchase to take home! Created by the world-renowned creative artist's Gillie and Marc (Love The Last), they are a symbol of hope for wildlife. Every lion has their own tale to tell and each has a special affinity with Born Free.

Christian became world famous when his story went viral on YouTube, and captivated the imaginations of millions of people.
But did you know, the famous footage of the young lion emerging from the African brush to greet his former owners was actually filmed by Born Free’s Co-Founder Bill Travers MBE, as part of his documentary Christian the Lion at World’s End? Born in captivity and purchased as a cub by John Rendall and Ace Bourke from Harrods in 1969. As he got bigger, it became obvious that Christian would soon outgrow his London home (a furniture shop in the King’s Road), and after a chance meeting with Virginia McKenna and Bill Travers, a plan was hatched to get Christian back to Africa, his ancestral home. 
Virginia and Bill offered temporary sanctuary to Christian in their Surrey garden, where his night-quarters were a gypsy caravan, until he could be safely transported to Kenya, and placed into the care of George Adamson for rehabilitation. George successfully released Christian into the Kora National Reserve, and nearly a year later, Rendall and Bourke visited in the hope of seeing Christian once more. To their amazement, they were greeted by an enormous, fully-grown young lion who not only remembered them, but appeared to embrace them with delight. Christian went on to become the head of a small pride. His journey to freedom symbolises Born Free’s vision that every individual matters and mission to 'Keep Wildlife in the Wild'. 

No.7 Christian
Length: 180cm, Width: 63cm, Height:43cm,Weight: 169 Kg Square metres: 1.13. 

The buyer is responsible for the transportation and delivery costs from Hampshire to the destination of buyer's choice. Full T&C's of sale here: https://www.bornfree.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/Born-Free-Sculptures-at-CG.pdf

Born Free will receive 100% of the funds bid on this item.