The Bushbaby

The Bushbaby is a 1969 American film based on the novel The Bushbabies (1965) by William Stevenson and adapted by Robert Maxwell. It was directed and produced by John Trent and stars Margaret Brooks and Lou Gossett in the leading roles, also starring Donald Houston and Laurence Naismith.

The film tells an episode in the life of Jackie Leeds, daughter of John Leeds. When the African country in which they reside, Kenya, declares its independence, John Leeds assumes that he has lost his job and must leave for London with his daughter. This proves difficult for Jackie, who is convinced that she belongs in Kenya, especially after their friend Tembo Murumbi presents her with a pet bushbaby that she names Komba, which she will have to return to its natural habitat prior to leaving.

The film was the first adaptation of the book The Bushbabies by William Stevenson. Decades later, in 1992, the story was adapted for television as an anime series belonging to the World Masterpiece Theater from Nippon Animation. The series received the international English title of The Bush Baby (大草原の小さな天使　ブッシュベイビー, Sougen no chiisana tenshi busshu beibii).