Lumley's wild times

There are fewer than 300 of one breed of magnificent giraffes left in the world, and they face a daily struggle to survive against farmers and poachers armed with guns and wire snares.

Now an endangered species, the Rothschild giraffe's future depends upon conservationists who fight for its survival. One of the recruits to the campaign is actress Joanna Lumley, well known as the wild free spirit Patsy in Absolutely Fabulous.

Lumley, 56, a long-time patron of animal charity Born Free, was invited to follow the trail of the giraffes for a new BBC television documentary, Born To Be Wild.

She watched conservationists round up a group of giraffes on the shores of Lake Nakuru in Kenya and move them to safety 74 miles away in the Kigio Wildlife Conservancy.

Lumley learnt how many giraffes were illegally shot or caught in wire snare traps. She said: "For years the plight of these gentle giants has largely gone unnoticed."

Joining the wild giraffes was a young male called Morley who was moved from a wildlife sanctuary.

"Morley's father was likely to get rough with him," says Lumley. "In the wild, young males keep their distance from the dominant males until they are big enough to defend themselves. In the sanctuary, Morley had nowhere to run and risked serious injury."

An anxious moment in the film is when a wild giraffe is sedated and, when tethered, has to be injected with an antidote to bring it round. If the antidote is not given in time, the animal will die. Lumley's concern is obvious as the giraffe's heart stops for a moment.

Another scene shows the giraffes' agitation after the long journey to their new home. Lumley's eyes well with tears: "I wished we could speak to these fabulous creatures to tell them everything would be OK in the end," she says.

Eventually all eight giraffes were safely released. And conservationists were delighted when a male giraffe was born some months later.

During her visit, Lumley stayed in a tent and said she was happy about camping under the stars.

"The view was gorgeous," she says. "I've always been an animal activist but mainly behind the scenes. So I was happy to experience conservation on the front line."

Born To Be Wild will be shown on BBC1 at 9pm on Sunday.