‘THE RISE AND FALL OF THE MARSH PRIDE’ FORTY YEARS OF FOOTAGE TELLS LIONS’ STORY OF SURVIVAL

Five

thousand feet up on the gentle rolling savannah plains of Kenya in East Africa lies the breathtaking expanse of the Masai Mara National Reserve, home to an iconic group of lions.

It was in the 1970s when broadcasters across the globe began following the Marsh Pride’s battle for survival, turning each of the animals into a recognisable and characterful individual with its own dramatic life story.

Now, in a groundbreaking film, made possible by BBC footage dating back over 40 years, the lions’ tale of shifting loyalties, bloody takeovers and sheer resilience is coming to our TV screens in a one-off, 90-minute documentary.

“It couldn’t be more Shakespearean, it couldn’t be more medieval England,” said naturalist and film-maker Simon King.

Featuring interviews with naturalists, guides, vets and conservationists in Kenya and the UK, The Rise and Fall of the Marsh Pride is the lions’ story of survival and co-existence with their greatest protector and enemy, humans – a conflict that threatens their very existence and has seen their numbers dwindle to just 20,000 across Africa.

The film tells of the pride’s incredible journey among those who live with these magnificent predators, those who have tried to protect them and some who ultimately wanted them dead.

Talking to hello! about the impact she hopes her film will have, director Pamela Gordon said: “If we want to go to Kenya and wonderful places like that to see lions and to also switch on the television and see films which show lions and other large animals, then we really have to understand and support the people who are living there with them and protecting them for the world.”

Dr Paula Kahumbu, chief executive of Wildlife Direct, told hello!: “I want tourists to be really responsible. Do their research, talk to people. Find out more about what’s happening on the ground and go to responsible lodges and responsible camps, and particularly to go to

the conservancies that are owned by the communities and invest in them.

“You can invest directly with the conservancies, especially where you see them playing a big role in living with the predators. It is a massive sacrifice that they are making just to continue living with them.”

To donate to the conservation of the pride, visit marapredatorconservation. org. The 90- minute documentary The Rise and Fall of the Marsh Pride will air on Tuesday 23 August, 9pm on BBC2 and will be available to stream on iPlayer.

‘ It couldn’t be more Shakespearean, it couldn’t be more medieval England’

The Rise and Fall of the Marsh Pride will give viewers a unique insight into the lives of pride members in Masai Mara Reserve in Kenya

The lions are seen hunting buffalo in the BBC documentary

Footage of these majestic predators has been amassed over 40 years, with director Pamela Gordon hoping the film will also help tourists “understand the people who are living there with them”, while Dr Paula Kahumbu (left) urges holidaymakers to “do their research and talk to people”

The pride captured on film in 2002 (below) and (below left) Masai herders outside their boma (family compound) on the edge of the pride’s territory. Paula says: “You can invest directly with the conservancies, especially where you see them playing a role in living with the predators”