Heart of a Lion

“Heart of a Lion” follows cougar biologist Dr. Mark Elbroch, National Geographic Explorer in Residence and the world’s leading expert on mountain lions, into the parallel worlds of two mountain lion mothers: F61, who first revealed the social lives of these elusive predators, and Yoko, struggling to raise her young on the edge of human encroachment. From the rugged wilderness of Wyoming’s Tetons to the misty forests of Washington’s Olympic Peninsula, this intimate and immersive journey reveals one of North America’s most misunderstood predators—asking us to see them with admiration instead of fear.

Filmed over more than a decade, “Heart of a Lion” captures behaviors never before seen on camera — including intimate sequences of week-old kittens in their natal den, mountain lions scavenging seals along a wild coastline, and even fishing for salmon. The film also documents the subtle social bonds that connect generations of one cougar family. No single film has ever captured, with such depth and continuity, the lives of successive generations of a single mountain lion lineage.

Post-film discussion with Dr. Mark Elbroch and Denise Peterson, Utah Mountain Lion Conservation. Presented with Swaner Preserve & EcoCenter.

Presented in partnership with Swaner Preserve & Eco Center for Earth Day as part of the Reel Community Series. 

Official Website