The four-part series LION from National Geographic is a documentary four years in the making. It follows the life of a lion cub, “Kio,” as he grows in Maasai Mara, Kenya. It’s rare that a documentary like this comes along. Four years of the lives of several people. Four years of hard work. A long-term project is a monumental achievement for the film crew, and we consume it in a mere four hours.

Something more separates this story besides the time — it places you, the viewer, right inside the action. You guessed it, drones. Right there the whole time. I’ve never felt this level of immersion in anything nature-based. Maybe A Real Bugs Life was close to that. This one with lions, though, is a dream come true for the nature-loving core of human existence.

I recently had a chance to speak with the primary aerial cinematographer, Anthony Njuguna. The first and most pressing question I asked was “with all the noise drones make, did they bug the lions?”

Anthony said the drones were with the lions for quite some time before filming. In the case of Kio, it’s their whole life. But they’re respectful of the animal. We’re “in their world.”

Anthony has been piloting drones for much of his professional life. He’s worked on many other documentaries, like Curb Your Carbon (CBC Docs), An Optimist's Guide to the Planet (Bloomberg), and Wild Hope (PBS Nature).

Kio is finally enjoying some quiet, drone-free nights. I can’t help but wonder what he’s doing now.

The show airs August 19 on Nat Geo and Disney+ and Hulu on August 20.

This series made me want to be a drone pilot. It seems like an important skill to have, especially in the content world we live in now.