Joy Adamson (January 20, 1910 - January 3, 1980) was a naturalist, best known as the author and main character of the book, Born Free, which described her experiences in saving the life of a lioness, Elsa.

She was born Joy Friedericke Victoria Gessner in Opava, Czech Republic (then part of Austria-Hungary). With her third husband, George Adamson, she made her home in Kenya on the shores of Lake Naivasha. She studied and painted animals in the wild, and became famous as a result of the publication of Born Free in 1960. Several sequels were also published, and a film was made in which Adamson was portrayed by Virginia McKenna .

Adamson later separated from her husband. In January, 1980, in a remote part of Kenya, Joy's lifeless body was discovered by her assistant. He assumed that Joy had been killed by a lion, and this was what was initially reported by the media.

Further police investigation concluded that Joy was murdered with a sharp instrument. Paul Wakwaro Ekai , Joy's former employee, was charged with the crime.