NAIROBI, Kenya, Oct 5 — Samburu warriors who once hunted lions as a traditional rite of passage are now helping protect the animals, contributing to a dramatic recovery of the lion population in northern Kenya.The transformation is at the heart of Pride of Samburu, a National Geographic documentary that premiered in Nairobi this week, chronicling how Samburu communities are combining traditional knowledge, technology and community-led conservation to protect lions while enabling people, livestock and wildlife to coexist in the same landscape.Produced by the National Geographic Society in collaboration with Ewaso Lions and Kenyan filmmakers, the film follows the work of National Geographic Explorers Shivani Bhalla, Jeneria Lekilelei and Toby Otieno in Samburu.At the centre of the story is Lekilelei, a former Samburu warrior who became concerned after discovering that only 11 lions remained in his homeland.Through community conservation programmes and scientific research, the population has since risen to more than 60.The shift, however, was not without resistance.“It was challenging when we first started lion conservation with Ewaso Lions in Samburu. Culturally, as a warrior, you are supposed to protect your livestock and society,” Lekilelei said.He recalled how some warriors initially rejected his decision to abandon traditional lion hunting.“When I first joined Ewaso Lions, other warriors thought I’d gone crazy; my friends started leaving me. I was doing the opposite of what they thought I was supposed to do.”Lekilelei later drew on his standing in the community to persuade other warriors to take part in conservation, turning their knowledge of the landscape and wildlife into an asset for protecting lions.“When I understood what was happening to lions in Kenya and Samburu, it made me more confident to teach my community, my warriors. I was able to provide advice and guidance – that’s how I transformed warriors to contribute to conservation.”The documentary shows how that approach has evolved through initiatives such as Warrior Watch, which involves young warriors in monitoring lions and helping prevent conflict between the animals, livestock and communities.The programme uses technologies including GPS collars to track lions when they move towards highways or populated areas, allowing communities to intervene before conflict occurs.Women are also playing a key role through Ewaso Lions’ Mama Simba programme, led by Munteli Lalparasoroi.The initiative trains Samburu women to participate in lion protection and habitat restoration, recognising that the survival of the big cats depends on the health of the wider ecosystem.“I am a custodian of the environment and wildlife. In my line of work, we work to restore the environment. We give grass to the herbivores and that, in turn, is meat for the lions, which keeps the balance,” Lalparasoroi said.For Bhalla, the film demonstrates the importance of putting communities at the centre of conservation“‘Pride of Samburu’ is a Kenyan story, about Kenya’s own national animal, and it was critical to tell it from the perspective of the people who live alongside these lions every day.”She said the Samburu experience demonstrated that communities are best placed to determine conservation approaches suited to their land and wildlife.“As long as conservation is in the hands of the communities, there is hope for the lions, and there is hope for the wildlife.”The documentary also explores the unique challenges facing lions in Samburu, where many survive alone or in small groups rather than the large prides commonly associated with the species.They face shrinking habitat, scarce prey, and growing human and livestock populations.For Lekilelei, protecting lions is also about preserving Samburu identity.“Lions play a crucial role in our culture. When lions roar, it’s a sign of hope in our culture. Losing them is like losing a part of ourselves.”The filmmakers said the production was the result of nearly a decade of collaboration with Samburu communities, during which they worked to build trust and understand the stories communities wanted to tell.Peter Ndung’u, a National Geographic Explorer and the film’s producer and cinematographer, said he hopes the documentary will inspire more Kenyans to participate in telling the country’s conservation stories.“I’d like to see more Kenyans involved in Kenyan conservation storytelling because these are our natural resources. Conservation is not a one-person job.”The documentary was executive produced by National Geographic Society Chief Storytelling Officer Kaitlin Yarnall, Vanessa Serrao, technology leader Dax Dasilva, and illustrator and filmmaker Chris Renaud.“‘Pride of Samburu’ is a story that had to be told from the authentic perspective of the community. It represents the power of storytelling to spark wonder and curiosity about our world — and a drive to protect it,” Yarnall said.“It’s also a perfect example of pairing storytellers with conservationists in ways that only National Geographic could — from the team at Ewaso Lions and Samburu community members, to filmmakers from our Impact Story Lab, to the composers who brought this feature documentary to life.”Serrao also directed the film, while Impact Story Lab member Dustin Sylvia served as producer and editor.National Geographic Explorers Peter Ndung’u, Simatwa Ngachi and Devin Swanson also served as producers.The film’s score was produced by the Nature, Environment and Wildlife Filmmakers’ (NEWF) Composers Lab, with composers from Kenya and across the region drawing on Samburu traditional instruments, rhythms and sounds to give the documentary an authentic local character.