Documentary following David Youldon and his colleagues at the African Lion & Environmental Research Trust in Zimbabwe as they run a controversial programme designed to halt the declining population of the animals. At the centre, captive lions are encouraged to develop their natural skills so they can live independently and their offspring can be released into the wild. Five-month-old cubs Jabari and Jelani are trained to hunt
David Youldon and the team oversee a potentially dangerous introduction at the African Lion & Environmental Research Trust in Zimbabwe when two-year-old Sango meets a pair of bigger and stronger brothers called Echo and Etosha. The reserve also welcomes two new arrivals - cubs Bhubesi and Batoka - who have much training ahead of them
David Youldon takes female lions Sahara, Soriah and Swahili on their first night-hunt, where they must learn to work together, and he asserts his position as leader of the pride when 18-month-old Batoka tests the boundaries of acceptable behaviour at the research trust
David Youldon prepares to release six-month-old cubs Jabari and Jelani from the African Lion & Environmental Research Trust in Zimbabwe, hoping they have developed their natural skills sufficiently to survive in the wild. Elsewhere, tensions run high when an adult male called Luke is introduced to three females
David Youldon provides an insight into his close bond with four-year-old Phyre, the first lion he hand-reared, and makes a 300-mile trip to the Dambwa Forest in Zambia, home to one of the programme's other sites and a pride of captive lions. Among them is 13-month-old Leya, who has strong predatory instincts and enjoys a good hunt
Three lions from the Zambian pride - Kwandi, Loma and alpha female Kela - encounter two buffalo and risk their lives in a chase, while 13-month-old sisters Temi and Tswana go in search of smaller prey
Zulu and his pride move one step closer to release when they are sedated and rehomed, but the operation is potentially dangerous for conservationist David Youldon and the team because the lions could have an adverse reaction to the drugs at any time. The stakes are then raised when the males start to wake up during the journey
The youngest cubs in the release programme face their first real test as Bemba and Bisa get caught in a tropical storm. Conservationist David Youldon oversees a potentially dangerous introduction when 17-month-old sisters Temi and Tswana move in with two older females, and the park vet gets on the wrong side of the youngsters at vaccination time. Narrated by Georgia MacKenzie
Beesa the cub sees an opportunity to impress when faced with a herd of impala, and David Youldon is reunited with 17-month-old lions Jabari and Jelani - two brothers he helped to raise. He also takes a road trip through Zimbabwe to Antelope Park, a wildlife reserve that is home to more than 80 captive bred lions, including some of his favourite characters. Narrated by Georgia MacKenzie
A huge fire threatens Zimbabwe's Antelope Park just as David Youldon is preparing for the release of seven female lions, called the Ngamo pride. Another major task to complete is the capture and introduction of game animals for these big cats to hunt, leaving the team working through the night to meet their deadline. David also makes the acquaintance of five-week-old cubs - the youngest in the park
Dignitaries from across Zimbabwe gather at Antelope Park to watch the release of the Ngamo pride into a huge purpose-built enclosure, where they will grow up free from human intervention. David Youldon makes an important discovery as he carries out a final check on the females, but he fears for the safety of feisty four-year-old Phyre, whom he hand-reared. Meanwhile, the youngest cubs in the programme leave the nursery camp for the first time
David Youldon witnesses his youngest cubs make remarkable progress at Antelope Park in Zimbabwe, but makes a worrying discovery when he checks on the recently released Ngamo pride. A surprise awaits him on his return to Zambia to catch up with lions he has not seen for several months, and new cub Special K delights everyone by making it safely through his first week. Narrated by Georgia MacKenzie