Stream now with KPBS+ / Watch Sunday, Aug, 23, 2026 at 8 p.m. on KPBS 2
In this captivating tale, lion researcher Dr. Philip Stander follows three orphaned desert lion cubs as they navigate the harsh realities of survival in one of the world’s most unforgiving places, Namibia’s brutal Skeleton Coast. Stander’s passion for these majestic creatures began 40 years ago, when he encountered a lone desert lioness on the Coast shores.
But the desert lions soon disappeared from the region, and more than a decade later, he discovers a female cub called “Queen” whose life unlocks the survival secrets of desert lions. One day tragedy strikes the Queen’s three granddaughters who become unexpectedly orphaned, and they embark on a harrowing journey through the empty desert facing starvation. Stander documents their every move, revealing the unique and complex relationship between land and marine predators.
Noteworthy Moments:
- More than 30 years ago, conservationist Dr. Philip Stander gave up his way of life to become a desert nomad in Namibia, where he began following one exceptional lioness known as The Queen and her litter of cubs.
- The Queen fought a male leopard, but the leopard inflicted such severe injuries that she succumbed to them and died a few days later.
- The Queen’s three desert lion cubs - Alpha, Bravo, and Charlie - were waiting for their mother, who wasn’t going to return. As a result, they had stopped playing and were waiting to die. Play is a fundamental part of their upbringing; it is a key element in developing their hunting skills and fostering social bonds, which is crucial to their survival.
- Hunger overshadowed the cubs’ longing to be with their mother, so they sought out their aunt in hopes she could be their new guardian. Their aunt attacked the cubs and would not accept them.
- Chased by their aunt into an inhospitable part of the desert, the cubs found an oasis where they developed new hunting strategies and became bird hunters, which was previously unheard of for lions. Since they were sharing small portions of food, it created tension between the sisters. Charlie eventually crossed the dunes and never returned.
- Charlie once again met their aunt, who had aggressively ousted her and her sisters. Her aunt now welcomed the companionship and mentored Charlie, showing her how to hunt larger prey like giraffes.
- Alpha and Bravo reached the ocean and made the Skeleton Coast their new home, where they learned how to hunt and eat a new set of prey from the marine ecosystem.
- The desert went through an extreme drought and the aunt eventually died. Alpha, the first of the sisters, became a mother and continues the legacy of coastal desert lions.
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Credits: A film by Will and Lianne Steenkamp. A production of The WNET Group, ORF, Into Nature Productions, Kurt Mayer Film, WDR and ARTE. The documentary is narrated by Noma Dumezweni with Dr. Philip Stander and filmed by Lianne and Will Steenkamp. Will Steenkamp and Kurt Mayer are Executive Producers. For NATURE, Fred Kaufman is Executive Producer. Bill Murphy is Series Producer. Janet Hess is Series Editor. Danielle Broza is Digital Content & Strategy Lead. NATURE is a production of The WNET Group.
