Nat Geo’s ‘Big Cat Week’ starts Monday, Feb 20, schedule details revealed

For millions of years, big cats have stood atop the food chain as treasured icons of the wild. We have a deep, ancient connection with these revered predators. We admire them; we fear them; and now, we need to fight for them. Today, big cats such as lions, cheetahs, leopards and cougars are in decline across the globe. Nat Geo WILD’s seventh annual Big Cat Week has turned its lens on these majestic animals to shine a light on their struggle and to remind viewers of their importance in the world.

This year’s ferocious lineup kicks off with the premiere of Battle for the Pride on Monday, Feb. 20, at 9/8c. Discover what it takes for a lion to become king in the wilds of Botswana, where only one in eight male lions makes it to adulthood. Additionally, on Wednesday, Feb. 22, at 10/9c, National Geographic Explorers-in-Residence and renowned filmmakers Beverly and Dereck Joubert present Soul of the Cat, in which they explore the deep connections and parallels between domestic cats and big cats. From pet tabbies to great lions, cats of all sizes are predators in their own right.

Other premieres include Storm Cats on Monday, Feb. 20, at 10/9c, which follows the lives of two generations of big cats — lions and cheetahs — during the fleeting wet season in arid Botswana, and Jaguar: Supercat on Tuesday, Feb. 21, at 9/8c, takes a closer look at South America’s supreme predator with narration by Sir David Attenborough. The week ends with Disneynature’sAfrican Cats, with narrator Samuel L. Jackson telling a tale about the majestic kings of the savannah. See the full premiere schedule below.

More than a television event, Big Cat Week is an extension of the Big Cats Initiative, a long-term commitment by the National Geographic Society to ​halt the decline of big cats in the wild​. This global initiative actively supports on-the-ground research and​ conservation projects to protect the planet’s top felines​. For more information on the Big Cats Initiative and how you can get involved, visit ​NatGeoBigCats.org.

“We have reached a critical moment in the fight to save big cats,” said Boone Smith, big cat tracker, biologist and conservationist. “These animals are in decline and if nothing is done to protect them, then we are facing a loss of some of the most incredible species on the planet. Big Cat Week is important because it represents hope for and sheds light on an important cause. The fight to save these species is an uphill battle, but we still have time to win.”

More schedule details on the next page(s)