The Last Lions

Scar Face. Silver Eye. Ma di Tau—no, these characters have nothing to do with Al Pacino or James Bond. They’re wild animals in Botswana’s Okavango Delta and central figures in National Geographic’s feature documentary The Last Lions.

The film follows the harsh travails of Ma di Tau, a lone lioness, as she tries to protect her cubs from an invading pride of lions. Every last hunting instinct is tested as she tracks a herd of water buffalo in search of a much-needed meal. The only things that stand in her way are Silver Eye, the head lioness of the rival pride, and Scar Face, the headstrong bull leading the buffalo herd. (Not to mention giant alligators, sporadic brush fire, and the advancing edges of human civilization).

Lions may sit atop the food chain, but life is anything but easy for these sophisticated predators. They compete fiercely with each other over territory. They must be able to take down animals five times their size. They must fend off scavenging packs of hyenas. They must protect their young which are virtually helpless for the first year of their lives.

Each day presents a new challenge that hones their survival skills, and these difficult days are beautifully captured in The Last Lions.

This true story is the latest work from Emmy-award-winning filmmakers Dereck and Beverly Joubert, who have onhealthy.net studied wildlife in Africa for nearly three decades. The Jouberts have been “explorers-in-residence” at National Geographic for the last four years where they helped established the Big Cats Initiative to raise awareness and promote lasting conservation solutions. More recently, the Jouberts have started to collaborate with Defenders, including contributing an article, Can We Save Lions? for the Fall 2010 issue of Defenders Magazine. (Make sure you check out the slideshow of amazing photos that accompanies the piece!)

African lions, in particular, are in critical need of help. In just 50 years, the population has plummeted from an estimated 450,000 lions to as few as 20,000. Poaching, trophy hunting, commercial trade, disease, habitat destruction and conflicts with local communities are all significant threats to the long-term survival of lions in Africa.

Maasai Lion Guardians in Kenya.

Last year, Defenders helped provide funding for the Lion Guardians program in Kenya that trains Maasai warriors to track lions and prevent conflict with livestock. And Defenders President Rodger Schlickeisen will travel to Africa once again this summer to see what else can be done to help save African lions.

In the meantime, don’t miss the gripping tale of Ma di Tau and her cubs in The Last Lions, premiering in theatres across the country this week. Find a showing near you.