Johannesburg, 4 December 2024: 2024 marks 30 years since the release of Disney’s The Lion King, the epic cinema animation that introduced Simba, a feisty lion cub who “just can’t wait to be king”. This year, The Walt Disney Company has been honouring the film’s continuing legacy, in the lead-up to the highly anticipated cinema release of Mufasa: The Lion King on 20 December.

In celebration of this milestone and in anticipation of this cinema event, National Geographic Wild (DStv 182, StarSat 221) will dedicate the entire month of December to real stories of these remarkable big cats in their fights for survival, with specials airing every Saturday at 18:00 (CAT). 

African lions have been admired throughout history for as symbols of courage and strength, as the biggest feline on the continent. However, some of them unfortunately live in increasingly fragile, scattered conditions and many of them are in danger of extinction. National Geographic Wild’s The Real Lion King programming will feature the premiere of the documentary Desert Lions: Surviving at Skeleton Coast and other exciting documentaries exploring these majestic felines.

^{Queen Elizabeth National Park, Uganda - Two adult lionesses in a fig tree (Alexander Braczkowski)}

Programming includes:

Desert Lions: Surviving At Skeleton Coast - Saturday 7 December at 18:00

Dr. Philip Stander follows three lion cubs as they navigate Namibia’s deadly Skeleton Coast.

Lions: The Hunt For Survival– Saturday 14 December at 18:00

Three lionesses from different habitats all go for one goal - to kill.

Tree Climbing Lions – Saturday 21 December at 18:00

Big cat biologist Alexander Braczkowski is on a mission. He's got 90 days to count lions in Uganda and assess how the population is doing.

Cecil: The Legacy of A King – Saturday 28 December at 18:00

In Zimbabwe's Hwange Game Reserve, one magnificent lion was destined to become one of Africa's most famous animals. He was known as Cecil…

For regular updates and social media content, follow @NatGeo_Africa.

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