After the death of George Adamson at the hands of poachers, Gareth Patterson adopted his three orphaned cubs in Kenya and moved the lions to the safety of the Tuli bushlands in southern Botswana. Here, he and his girlfriend Julie set about returning the lions to the wild state as Adamson had wished, divorcing them from the only family they knew – mankind.

Gareth’s life with the lions is movingly told: everyday encounters with ferocious opponents such as a leopard or, more worryingly, a bull elephant are lessons for the young lions as he seeks to educate them in the skills they’ll need for coping in the wild. Some meetings, such as the pride male Batian’s with a baby porcupine are humorous; others, with a rival male lion, nearly tragic.

Last of the Free is an evocative, vivid and intimate depiction of these lions’ daily life. It is also a heartfelt plea, drawing attention to the wanton and savage destruction of one of the world’s most beautiful creatures.