[3rd POV]
[Name: Dr. T. Soma Tonson
Role: Lead researcher]
...
"Although all these discoveries were made way later in the future, we will insert all the important information here before Leo actually began making his moves after reaching his destination," Dr Tonson continued, the documentary that was reaching halfway to the end.
"You are quite lucky, I would say. Because you wouldn't go into these events completely blind like we were," Dr Tonson said.
The drone footage of the Serengeti continued to play as Dr Tonson's voice sounded over the footage. But soon, the aerial scene began moving rapidly towards the south, following the path that Leo and his pride took in their travel.
"Let me introduce you to Leo's origin, where he was born and where he was raised," Dr Tonson said, and the footage slowed until it paused on the perfect scene from the sky.
The footage was taken from a high altitude, showing the vastness of the savannah and the huge plateau that was situated in the distance. Lazy clouds also moved in bulk right above the plateau. It looked like a paradise from this distance.
"Behold, the Prideland," Dr Tonson said.
The documentary began showing the plateau and its surroundings while Dr Tonson went into a monologue. This part of the documentary felt like a proper documentary to the audience.
"Stretching across the transitional belt between northern and central Tanzania lies a landform unlike the surrounding plains. Elevated, emerald, and ecologically distinct, the Pridelands stand as a testament to how geography alone can carve an entirely separate world from the biome directly below it," Dr Tonson explained.
"The Prideland was a titanic plateau located roughly 200 miles, around 320 kilometres, south of the Serengeti. This plateau exists at the convergence of several key African eco-regions: the Eastern Arc influenced highlands, the northern savannah transition zone, and the rift-adjacent volcanic terrain that shapes much of Tanzania's topographic character. As a result, the Pridelands form a microcosm, an ecosystem with its own rhythm, hydrology, and evolutionary pressures, different enough to influence the behaviour and morphology of the predators that call it home," Dr Tonson said.
"This, this is a very unique land and quite frankly undiscovered until then, was where Leo's story began. It was the land of his origin."
The drone entered the Pridelands and began taking video of the paradise-like land. It was clear that the footage was taken way after Leo defeated Scar and the land had recovered. It was in its most abundant phase.
"After years of studying and with the help of many famous geologists, geomorphologists and other scientists, we finally got close to understanding what this plateau meant to the ecosystem and how it came to be."
"The landscape of Tanzania is heavily shaped by the East African Rift System, a vast tectonic seam running from the Red Sea through Ethiopia and down toward Mozambique. The Pridelands plateau exists along the periphery of this system, uplifted over millions of years due to rifting, magmatic intrusion, and gradual fault-block rising. What emerges from this geological history is a land elevated substantially above the surrounding savannah, anywhere from 1,400 to 1,800 meters above sea level, creating conditions more reminiscent of montane grassland than the endless lowland plains," Dr Tonson explained.
The documentary began shifting from a CGI visual of what Dr Tonson was explaining to the end result of today. This gave a clear example and demonstration to the viewers so even the most uneducated audience could grasp the concept of what was being said.
"The soil composition of this plateau provides further clues to its origins. Rich in volcanic ash, basaltic minerals, and weathered rift debris, the plateau's ground retains water better than the Serengeti's shallow, iron-rich soils. This higher retention capacity is a primary reason for the greenery that defines the Pridelands. Even during Tanzania's harsh dry season, the plateau sustains patches of moisture, giving rise to grass species that grow taller, denser, and more nutrient-rich than their lowland counterparts," Dr Tonson said.
"The altitude alone dramatically reshapes the climate of the plateau. At 1,500 meters, average temperatures drop by approximately 6 to 10 degrees compared to the lowlands. This cooling effect slows evaporation, preserves morning dew, and supports plant communities unable to survive the scorching heat of the plains."
"The Pridelands also benefit from orographic rainfall, a process where moisture-laden air from the Indian Ocean is forced upward by elevated terrain. As the air rises, it cools, condenses, and falls as rain, leaving the plateau with higher annual precipitation than adjacent regions. While the Serengeti itself receives around 500 to 1,000 mm depending on location, the Pridelands easily surpass that with 1,200 to 1,400 mm, bordering on conditions of dry montane forest ecosystems."
"All these factors contributed to making the Pridelands as close to paradise as possible. Green all year round, with native prey that did not have to migrate at all. Our earlier suspicion of Leo coming from a land with abundant food and prey was proven true. It could not get better than this. It was no wonder that Leo was as big as he was when we first encountered him."
A nature theme music began playing as the documentary showed the beautiful scenery of the plateau. It captured the vast and different prey animals that were residents of this land. It showed cubs chasing each other in a playful manner.
It also showed the plethora of birds that flew above the plateau. From the rhinos, the tall giraffes and the titanic elephants, all animals were living in this land.
After the minute-long montage, Dr Tonson's voice resounded once more.
"Now you know the Pridelands."
"But when we first discovered this land, our impression was quite different. Rewind the time back ten years prior, the era of Scar's rule," he said.
And then the footage did an abrupt transition. From the greenery that looked like paradise on earth, it turned into what could only be described as hell. The green of the land turned to the colour of ash.
The bright blue sky turned dim, with the white clouds disappearing to show a red sky. The abundant animal life in the region turned into crooked bones on the ground. And the lakes and watering holes turned into mud lakes and muddy puddles that looked too toxic to even drink.
The change was abrupt and shocking. It was hard to wrap your head around that this was the same land just in a different time period.
"And the one responsible for this horrible change," Dr Tonson said, and the footage cut to Scar.
An ugly and crooked lion that lay on the top of the Priderock amid a floor of bones. His fur was uneven due to the many scar tissues on his body. One of his eyes was blind, and he was the colour of ash with a dark mane.
One look and you could tell easily why he was named Scar.
"After a deep research on the case, we have a pretty good idea of what happened in this land and the events that took place to shape Leo as he is. The lion you are seeing now, Scar, is Leo's direct relative. It was his uncle."
"And also, the murderer of Leo's biological father," Dr Tonson revealed dramatically.
"Here is the most accepted theory of Leo's past. Nothing can be proven unless we create a time machine and witness the past, but this theory has no holes in logical events. So here is what we think happened," Dr Tonson began.
"Once upon a time, there was a king, a great king, might I add. And this king was Leo's father. Judging from the excellent and quite extraordinary genes that Leo inherited from him, it could be speculated that the father was a remarkable lion."
"He ruled over this secluded ecosystem as the absolute king along with the one directly below him, his brother Scar," he said. "The Prideland was, as mentioned, very secluded, so there were virtually no constant challengers from his kingdom. This caused Leo's father to be careless."
"And when he least expected, betrayal came from his blood. Scar, Leo's uncle, murdered his own brother in cold blood due to envy and the desire to rule the paradise all for himself. He went on a rampage, killing the cubs, the siblings of Leo. Which explains why there were very little blood-related siblings among the pride when Leo returned."
"But Leo became the one to escape this tragedy. But not without being crippled. It is widely accepted that Leo got all his scars and even lost his tail to Scar when he attempted to kill him as a cub," Dr Tonson said.
The documentary focused on Leo and his lack of tail. It also showed the footage the researchers had taken in his earlier days. The plethora of scars under his fur made one wonder the difficult life he must have had even though he was so young.
"So what we are witnessing and about to witness is a story of revenge. Of a son that avenged his father and a lion that would avenge his past," Dr Tonson said.
"But before we get back to that, let us take a look at Scar. The lion that killed his own brother and brought the prosperous land to the edge of becoming a wasteland."
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[IMAGE]
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