Betty Leslie-Melville
Encyclopedia
Betty Leslie-Melville (March 7, 1927 – September 23, 2005) was an American
conservationist. She was instrumental in creating sanctuaries to preserve the subspecies of the Rothschild's giraffe in Kenya
. Often called the "Giraffe Lady", she spent much of her life living and working in Kenya protecting and caring for the Rothschild's giraffe population there, primarily through a breeding programme established at her residence, Giraffe Manor
. During her time working there, the Rothschild's giraffe population grew from about one hundred twenty to over four hundred.
Along with her husband Jock Leslie-Melville and their adopted giraffe Daisy, she was the subject of the film The Last Giraffe (1979) with Susan Anspach
playing Betty.
As part of their fund-raising efforts, Betty and Jock Leslie-Melville collaborated on a series of books about animals, most of them characterised by Betty's rather breathless style. Raising Daisy Rothschild (1977) "the story of two delightful young people and how they raised and grew to love a young giraffe... or two" became a best-seller. More animal stories followed: Elephant Have Right of Way (1973), There's a Rhino in the Rose Bed, Mother (1973), That Nairobi Affair (1975) and Walter Warthog (1989), a children's story about the tame warthog they named after their friend Walter Cronkite
, the CBS news
anchorman. The books helped to raise more funds for the Giraffe Centre
they set up at Langata
, Kenya in 1983.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
conservationist. She was instrumental in creating sanctuaries to preserve the subspecies of the Rothschild's giraffe in Kenya
Kenya
Kenya , officially known as the Republic of Kenya, is a country in East Africa that lies on the equator, with the Indian Ocean to its south-east...
. Often called the "Giraffe Lady", she spent much of her life living and working in Kenya protecting and caring for the Rothschild's giraffe population there, primarily through a breeding programme established at her residence, Giraffe Manor
Giraffe Manor
Giraffe Manor is a small hotel in the Lang'ata suburb of Nairobi, Kenya which, together with its associated Giraffe Centre, serves as a home to a number of endangered Rothschild giraffes, and operates a breeding programme to reintroduce breeding pairs back into the wild to secure the future of the...
. During her time working there, the Rothschild's giraffe population grew from about one hundred twenty to over four hundred.
Along with her husband Jock Leslie-Melville and their adopted giraffe Daisy, she was the subject of the film The Last Giraffe (1979) with Susan Anspach
Susan Anspach
-Private life:Anspach was born in New York City and was raised in Queens, New York. She graduated from William Cullen Bryant High School in Long Island City in 1960. Paul Simon was a neighbor. She enrolled in the music department at the Catholic University of America...
playing Betty.
As part of their fund-raising efforts, Betty and Jock Leslie-Melville collaborated on a series of books about animals, most of them characterised by Betty's rather breathless style. Raising Daisy Rothschild (1977) "the story of two delightful young people and how they raised and grew to love a young giraffe... or two" became a best-seller. More animal stories followed: Elephant Have Right of Way (1973), There's a Rhino in the Rose Bed, Mother (1973), That Nairobi Affair (1975) and Walter Warthog (1989), a children's story about the tame warthog they named after their friend Walter Cronkite
Walter Cronkite
Walter Leland Cronkite, Jr. was an American broadcast journalist, best known as anchorman for the CBS Evening News for 19 years . During the heyday of CBS News in the 1960s and 1970s, he was often cited as "the most trusted man in America" after being so named in an opinion poll...
, the CBS news
CBS News
CBS News is the news division of American television and radio network CBS. The current chairman is Jeff Fager who is also the executive producer of 60 Minutes, while the current president of CBS News is David Rhodes. CBS News' flagship program is the CBS Evening News, hosted by the network's main...
anchorman. The books helped to raise more funds for the Giraffe Centre
Giraffe Centre
The Giraffe Centre is located at Langata, approximately 5 kilometres from the centre of Nairobi, Kenya. It was established in order to protect the endangered Rothschild giraffe, Giraffa camelopardalis rothschildi, that is found only in the grasslands of East Africa.The Giraffe Centre was started by...
they set up at Langata
Langata
Lang'ata is a suburb of Nairobi in Kenya, lying south west of the city centre and east of Karen. The suburb consists of many smaller housing developments, referred to as estates. They include Nairobi Dam, Otiende, Southlands, Ngei, Jambo estate, Onyonka, Madaraka Estate and many others...
, Kenya in 1983.