OPTIMUM TELEVISION

The Lion Queens of India

Welcome to the India's Gir National Park, the last refuge of the endangered of Asiatic lions. It's also the home of a unique breed of lionesses --- the gutsy and resolute female foresters zealously guarding these lions!

Meet some of the most courageous, skilful and remarkably dedicated girls of these forests. Rescuing a lion stuck in an open well, healing a badly injured lioness with three little cubs in the middle of the night, retrieving a wild leopard from a farmer's house or catching and releasing a deadly Russell's viper are all part of their daily job! This, perhaps, is the only female-exclusive brigade in direct wildlife management of the big cats anywhere in the world.

Spearheading the rescue teams is an incredible woman forester, the 28-year old Raseela Vadhera. Her and her team have carried out over 600 rescue missions last year, perhaps the highest number in any wildlife park in the world.

The Lion Queens is a gripping tale of these girls, and an ode to their unwavering commitment to preserving the lion and its habitat.

Episodic Synopsis available here