LION
National Geographic — executive producers Jon Favreau and Mike Gunton; narrated by O.J. Lynch
Four chapters following Kio from cub to king. Winter appears as one of the three sisters who lead his mother’s pride.
Fate unknown
Winter
Also known as Summer’s Sister · Co-leader of Summer’s Pride · Nat Geo’s LION
Filmed c. 2021 – 2025
Born in an unrecorded place
Winter is the name National Geographic gives to one of the three sister lionesses who lead the pride at the centre of LION, the four-part series filmed over four years in Kenya’s Masai Mara and released in August 2026. With her sisters Summer and Autumn she is introduced as one of the queens and leaders of a sprawling pride, one of the largest in the Mara.
In the series the three sisters share the work of the pride: hunting, guarding the nursery and raising the cubs together. When Summer’s small cub Kio was pushed around by his larger relatives, it was to his mother and her sisters that he turned for comfort.
Beyond her role in the series, very little about Winter has been published: not her guide name, her age, her cubs or what became of her after filming. This record will grow as more becomes known.
3Sisters leading the pride
4Years filmed
2026LION released
1Famous nephew
Profile
Identity
- Name
- WinterHer name in the National Geographic series LION
- Nicknames
- Information not available
- Origin of the name
- Given by the LION production team
- Sex
- Female
- Distinguishing features
- Information not available
- Weight
- Information not availableFor reference, adult lionesses usually weigh 110–180 kg
Birth & Family
- Born
- Information not availableNot published
- Birthplace
- Information not availableNot published; she lived in the Masai Mara, Kenya
- Birth pride
- Information not available
- Father
- Information not available
- Mother
- Information not available
- Siblings
- Summer and Autumn (sisters)
Pride Life
- Role in the pride
- Co-leader of the pride with her sisters
- Prides
- Summer’s Pride (as named in the series)Guides identify it as the Topi Pride; National Geographic has not named it
- Pride size
- Information not available
- Years in the pride
- Information not available
- Pride-mates
- Her sisters Summer and Autumn
- Coalition
- Information not available
- Home range
- Masai Mara National Reserve, Kenya
- Territory size
- Information not available
Death
- Died
- Information not availableNot published
- Age at death
- Information not available
- Cause of death
- Information not available
- Place of death
- Information not available
- Burial
- Information not available
Names & Meanings
WinterName in the series
Given by the LION production team, matching her sisters Summer and Autumn.
Family & Lineage
Not publishedParentsHer parents have not been named.
Summer’s sisterWinterDates not published
SisterSummerQueen of the pride and mother of Kio.View record →SisterAutumnThe third of the sister lionesses.View record →Life Story
- c. 2021
Leading the pride with her sisters when filming of LION began and Summer’s cub Kio was born.
- Kio’s first months
Helped guard and feed the pride while Kio grew up among her own and her sisters’ cubs.
- 19 – 20 August 2026
Appeared in LION on National Geographic, then on Disney+ and Hulu.
Legend & Truth
Little is known
Winter is a secondary figure in the series, and National Geographic has published almost nothing about her beyond her role as Summer’s sister. Many sections of this record are marked as not available for that reason.
Photographs
Photograph coming soon
Photograph coming soon
Photograph coming soon
Film
The film of Summer’s Sister’s life is coming soon
Animation
An animated story of Summer’s Sister’s life is coming soon
Documentaries & Features
Sources
- Global Grind — Kio meets the pride (Summer, Winter and Autumn)
- National Geographic — LION
- Science News — Review of LION
Where sources disagree, the most widely reported figure is shown, with other reports noted beneath it.