Once, a million Asiatic lions roamed from Greece through Persia to India. Today, these iconic big cats are found only in the forests of Gir, India. Here, around 500 lions are besieged by increasing urbanization. It is in this unique forest landscape that our story is set.
The story of Asiatic lions in Gir forest is an unusual one, especially when compared to their better-known African cousins. In Gir, male lions don’t have as much power. Females hold prides together and ensure the rise of lion dynasties. Female lions can survive on their own but they only really thrive when they are members of a pride.
To secure their bloodline they need to have cubs. The pride structure in Asia differs from Africa in that the female lionesses and the cubs live together while the males roam in isolation or form coalitions. To keep and build a pride in this tough time, a lioness needs males to protect it.
This is Noor’s story. She’s a young lioness and she’s developed into a fantastic hunter. She’s a mother for the first time, producing a single young male. The youngster is in for a hard time, as India can be a difficult place for male lions. He’ll have to fight with other more mature males for territory, as well as the people cultivating the fields in the surrounding the forest.
Lions in Gir scavenge to survive, but they also adapt, hunting in the surrounding villages at night for livestock. Despite this, human-lion conflict is rare and both parties seem to be able to live together.
Will Noor be able to avoid conflict with the old territorial male, cope with the advances of 2 ambitious bothers while raising and positioning her cub for greatness?