Gibson the Lion - National Geographic

Gibson the Lion

National Geographic

In a first-ever 360-video filmed from the heart of a pride of lions in the wild, you get to come face to face with these big cats in Virtual Reality. In close collaboration with Zambia Carnivore Programme, Martin Edström and the IVAR Studios team push the boundaries of immersive wildlife storytelling further in this lion VR-video for National Geographic.

Gibson the Lion highlight

With 360-video and Virtual Reality on the rise, we wanted to show the power of this new immersive format. Immersive video holds great power in giving new perspectives on wildlife and conservation.

The Story

Gibson the lion lives in the wilderness of South Luangwa National Park in Zambia with his mother. The 360-video story lets you follow along as Gibson and his mother are both forced to leave their pride because of conflict with a new dominant male.
One of the lion cubs from Mwamba One pride
One of the lion cubs from Mwamba One pride

The Partnership

The Zambia Carnivore Programme is a long-term research initiative studying lion behavior, ecology, and conservation in South Luangwa National Park. For years they had tracked Gibson, his mother Pala, and the Mwamba One pride - understanding their movements, social dynamics, and survival patterns. When we came to film, the Zambia Carnivore Programme wasn't just a location scout - they were scientific guides. They brought intimate knowledge of the lions' behavior, safe access to the pride, and years of field relationships. Without their research foundation and conservation expertise, filming face-to-face with wild lions would have been impossible. The result: a story that is both emotionally intimate and scientifically grounded.
Close-up of a lion from the Mwamba pride in Zambia
360 camera view from inside the lion pride
Lioness resting in the South Luangwa grasslands
Custom remote-controlled camera car approaching the pride
Lion cubs playing in the wilderness
Dawn light on the African savanna during filming
Gibson the lion surveying his territory
Pride of lions gathered around the 360 camera rig

End User Experience

Our innovative approach enabled the audience to literally meet lions face to face in virtual reality. Even if you have seen hundreds of natural history documentaries, our experience offered something new: presence. We were able to bring you up close and into the center of the pride of lions, in a way that hadn't been filmed before.
Our custom-made remote-controlled car with a 360-video camera system on top
Our custom-made remote-controlled car with a 360-video camera system on top

Impact

The resulting 360-video has been widely published on many different channels and has over 75 million views, and is regularly used in events, talks, and exhibitions by National Geographic. Martin Edström and the IVAR team pushed the limits of how we can come close to and experience wildlife and remote, inaccessible places in new immersive formats.

Credits

  • Martin Edström - Director
  • Fredrik Edström - Producer
  • Erik Löfblad - Camera & Editor

Get in touch

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