At the Movies   / Big Cats

Walking With Lions

Summary: Walking With Lions is more than just another wildlife documentary about lions. Husband and wife team Phil and Lynne Richardson lived with their 18-month-old daughter at a water hole amongst lions, elephants, and baboons in the African bush of northern Zimbabwe's Zambezi Valley.

Using video technologies—like miniature infrared cameras and lenses for nighttime vision—helped them capture natural behavior without interfering with the wildlife. National Geographic News spoke with filmmaker Maya Laurinaitis, who followed Phil and Lynne Richardson to produce an accompanying documentary, Living With Lions, a profile of the Richardsons' experience in the African bush.