Story Sirga Books Tour Press Support Tickets 2027
Valentin Grüner with Sirga the lioness in the Kalahari
Ranger/ Conservationist/ Speaker/ Author

Valentin
Grüner

Modisa Wildlife Project Kalahari · Botswana
Scroll — Field notes
01 Field Notes — The Story

A life for
the Kalahari

Valentin Grüner is a conservationist and ranger best known for his extraordinary bond with Sirga — a wild lioness he raised from an orphaned cub and has lived alongside ever since. He is the founder of the Modisa Wildlife Project, a 70 km² reserve of wild Kalahari in southwestern Botswana, where he has lived full-time for over fifteen years.

A trained bush pilot, he handles game management, supports anti-poaching operations and acts as a link between local communities and the surrounding conservation areas. In partnership with the remote community of Khawa, Modisa is responsible for 780,000 hectares of wild Kalahari — privately funded and built from the ground up.

Grüner grew up near Lake Constance, Germany.

The Modisa Wildlife Project team in the Kalahari
The Modisa team · Kalahari, Botswana
Valentin walking with Sirga through the Kalahari grasslands
Sirga embracing Valentin in the Kalahari
02 — The Lioness

Sirga

Abandoned as a cub and rejected by her pride, Sirga was taken in by Valentin at just a few days old. He raised her by hand in the Kalahari — not as a pet, but as a lion, with the aim of giving her a life as wild as possible within the realities of the reserve.

Their bond became one of the most documented human–lion relationships in the world, followed by millions on social media and covered by international press. Through Sirga, people around the world are captivated by the Kalahari — and Valentin's work aims to direct that love toward a sustainable future for the land and the wildlife it holds.

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Photo © Fabian Gieske · Modisa Wildlife Project
SUPPORT OUR WORK

Unseen footage of Sirga, field updates from Modisa and the long, ambitious work of keeping the Kalahari wild.

patreon.com/sirga →
Then & Now
Young Valentin holding baby Sirga as a newborn cub
Day One A few days old
Young Sirga lying across Valentin while he writes in a diary
First Months Learning the Kalahari
Valentin and adult Sirga lying side by side in the Kalahari
Today A full-grown lioness
70 km²
Modisa Reserve · Kalahari
15+
Years living in Africa
780k ha
Wild Kalahari · with Khawa community
3M+
Followers on social media
03 Published — Books
Löwenland book cover — Valentin Grüner with Sirga
Spiegel Bestseller

Löwenland

Mein Leben für Afrikas letzte Wildnis — the story of a life with lions in the Kalahari, how Valentin came to Botswana, found Sirga, and built Modisa from nothing.

Rowohlt Polaris ISBN 978-3-499-00780-4
Order book →
Sirga & Valentin children's book cover
Children's Book · Ages 5+

Sirga und Valentin

Die wahre Geschichte einer ungewöhnlichen Freundschaft — the true story of an unlikely friendship, told for young readers.

Kosmos ISBN 978-3-440-18414-1
Pre-order →
04 On Tour — Live 2027
A live expedition report

Löwenland

Two hours of real field footage and stories from a life with lions in the Kalahari — 24 nights across Switzerland and Germany.

Explora · CH Mundologia · DE Grenzgang · DE

Bring Valentin to your stage

Festivals, corporate keynotes, brand partnerships and conservation events — enquiries welcome.

Booking & enquiries →
05 Press & Media
NBC News NZZ Love Nature Die Zeit RTL

For journalists
& media

Valentin Grüner portrait in the Kalahari

Valentin and Sirga's story has been covered internationally — from documentary crews in the field to features in print and broadcast media. We welcome serious editorial enquiries.

If you're working on a story about wildlife conservation, human–animal bonds, the Kalahari, or Valentin's speaking tour, we're happy to provide background information, high-resolution photography and arrange interviews.

Media contact

For press enquiries, interview requests, photo permissions and partnership opportunities:
hello@modisa.org

Available Materials
BIOGRAPHY & PHOTO KIT SHORT & LONG-FORM BIO, HIGH-RES PHOTOS · ENGLISH
Request →
06 Support the Work
Valentin and Sirga
Follow the story

Join on
Patreon

Go behind the fence with Sirga and the Modisa team — first footage, field updates and the long, slow work of keeping wildlife wild.

patreon.com/sirga →
Modisa Wildlife Project landscape — Valentin and Sirga walking through the bush
The project

Modisa
Wildlife Project

70 km² reserve plus 780,000 hectares of wild Kalahari, privately funded and run with local communities. See the work and support it directly.

modisawildlifeproject.com →
Field Dispatches

Notes from
the Kalahari

An occasional letter from the Kalahari — tour dates, updates around Sigra, our Work and upcoming projects. 

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