
Rare Barbary lion cubs born at Czech zoo are part of a plan to return the breed to the wild. See photos of their public debut.
The three females and one male were seen playing in their outdoor enclosure at Dvůr Králové Safari Park on Wednesday, enjoying themselves under the watchful eyes of their parents, Khalila and Bart. The cubs were born in early January and were first spotted out in the lion pavilion in April.
But their home will change soon. As part of an international endangered species program that coordinates efforts for their survival in captivity, the cubs will be sent to other participating parks, including the Beersheba zoo in Israel.
Chances are that might not be the end of the story for the animal.
Dvůr Králové Deputy Director Jaroslav Hyjánek said that while preliminary steps have been taken for a possible reintroduction of the Barbary lion into its natural habitat, it's still a "far distant future."
The majestic member of the Northern lion subspecies, the Barbary lion once roamed freely its native northern Africa, including the Atlas Mountains.
A symbol of strength, they were almost completely wiped out due to human activities. Many were killed by gladiators in Roman times, while overhunting and a loss of habitat contributed to their extinction later.
The last known photo of a wild lion was taken in 1925, while the last individual was killed in 1942. It's believed the last small populations went extinct in the wild in the middle of the 1960s.
Fewer than 200 Barbary lions are currently estimated to live in captivity.
These aren't the first Barbary cubs to be born at the Dvůr Králové Safari Park. Two cubs were born in July 2021, three in July 2020 and two in May 2019, all to mom Khalila who made her debut at the zoo in 2018.
The licensed breeding of the lions is "guided by the recommendations of the coordinator of the European Conservation Programme" on suitable mates and where to place cubs for the highest possible genetic diversity, the park said.
"These steps are crucial for the survival of the species in the future," the zoo said.
Hyjánek said that after initial talks with Moroccan authorities, who have not rejected the idea of their reintroduction, a conference of experts has been planned to take place in Morocco late this year or early 2026 to decide whether it would make sense to go ahead with such a plan in one of the national parks in the Atlas Mountains.
Any reintroduction would face numerous bureaucratic and other obstacles. Since the lion has not been present in the environment for such a long time, the plans would have to ensure their protection, a sufficient prey population and cooperation and approval from local communities.
Hyjánek said such a move is still worth trying if it turns out to be sustainable.
"It's important to have such a vision for any animal," he said. "Without it, the existence of zoos wouldn't make sense."
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CBS News
10 hours ago
- CBS News
Rare Barbary lion cubs born at Czech zoo are part of a plan to return the breed to the wild. See photos of their public debut.
Four Barbary lion cubs recently made their public debut at a Czech zoo that's working to eventually reintroduce the breed to its native habitat decades after it went extinct in the wild. The three females and one male were seen playing in their outdoor enclosure at Dvůr Králové Safari Park on Wednesday, enjoying themselves under the watchful eyes of their parents, Khalila and Bart. The cubs were born in early January and were first spotted out in the lion pavilion in April. But their home will change soon. As part of an international endangered species program that coordinates efforts for their survival in captivity, the cubs will be sent to other participating parks, including the Beersheba zoo in Israel. Chances are that might not be the end of the story for the animal. Dvůr Králové Deputy Director Jaroslav Hyjánek said that while preliminary steps have been taken for a possible reintroduction of the Barbary lion into its natural habitat, it's still a "far distant future." The majestic member of the Northern lion subspecies, the Barbary lion once roamed freely its native northern Africa, including the Atlas Mountains. A symbol of strength, they were almost completely wiped out due to human activities. Many were killed by gladiators in Roman times, while overhunting and a loss of habitat contributed to their extinction later. The last known photo of a wild lion was taken in 1925, while the last individual was killed in 1942. It's believed the last small populations went extinct in the wild in the middle of the 1960s. Fewer than 200 Barbary lions are currently estimated to live in captivity. These aren't the first Barbary cubs to be born at the Dvůr Králové Safari Park. Two cubs were born in July 2021, three in July 2020 and two in May 2019, all to mom Khalila who made her debut at the zoo in 2018. The licensed breeding of the lions is "guided by the recommendations of the coordinator of the European Conservation Programme" on suitable mates and where to place cubs for the highest possible genetic diversity, the park said. "These steps are crucial for the survival of the species in the future," the zoo said. Hyjánek said that after initial talks with Moroccan authorities, who have not rejected the idea of their reintroduction, a conference of experts has been planned to take place in Morocco late this year or early 2026 to decide whether it would make sense to go ahead with such a plan in one of the national parks in the Atlas Mountains. Any reintroduction would face numerous bureaucratic and other obstacles. Since the lion has not been present in the environment for such a long time, the plans would have to ensure their protection, a sufficient prey population and cooperation and approval from local communities. Hyjánek said such a move is still worth trying if it turns out to be sustainable. "It's important to have such a vision for any animal," he said. "Without it, the existence of zoos wouldn't make sense."


New York Post
11 hours ago
- New York Post
Czech zoo welcomes 4 rare Barbary lion cubs whose population is extinct in the wild
Four Barbary lion cubs were born recently in a Czech zoo, a vital contribution for a small surviving population of the rare lion that is extinct in the wild. The three females and one male were seen playing in their outdoor enclosure at Dvůr Králové Safari Park on Wednesday, enjoying themselves under the watchful eyes of their parents, Khalila and Bart. That will change soon. As part of an international endangered species program that coordinates efforts for their survival in captivity, the cubs will be sent to other participating parks, including the Beersheba zoo in Israel. 5 The three females and one male were seen playing in their outdoor enclosure at Dvůr Králové Safari Park on Wednesday. AP Chances are that might not be the end of the story for the animal. Dvůr Králové Deputy Director Jaroslav Hyjánek said that while preliminary steps have been taken for a possible reintroduction of the Barbary lion into its natural habitat, it's still a 'far distant future.' The majestic member of the Northern lion subspecies, the Barbary lion once roamed freely its native northern Africa, including the Atlas Mountains. A symbol of strength, they were almost completely wiped out due to human activities. Many were killed by gladiators in Roman times, while overhunting and a loss of habitat contributed to their extinction later. The last known photo of a wild lion was taken in 1925, while the last individual was killed in 1942. It's believed the last small populations went extinct in the wild in the middle of the 1960s. 5 The cubs will be sent to other participating parks, including the Beersheba zoo in Israel. AP 5 The majestic member of the Northern lion subspecies, the Barbary lion once roamed freely its native northern Africa. AP Fewer than 200 Barbary lions are currently estimated to live in captivity Hyjánek said that after initial talks with Moroccan authorities, who have not rejected the idea of their reintroduction, a conference of experts has been planned to take place in Morocco late this year or early 2026 to decide whether it would make sense to go ahead with such a plan in one of the national parks in the Atlas Mountains. Any reintroduction would face numerous bureaucratic and other obstacles. Since the lion has not been present in the environment for such a long time, the plans would have to ensure their protection, a sufficient prey population and cooperation and approval from local communities. 5 Fewer than 200 Barbary lions are currently estimated to live in captivity. AP 5 It's believed the last small populations went extinct in the wild in the middle of the 1960s. AP Hyjánek said such a move is still worth trying if it turns out to be sustainable. 'It's important to have such a vision for any animal, ' he said. 'Without it, the existence of zoos wouldn't make sense.'


CBS News
11 hours ago
- CBS News
Endangered fin whale and calf sighting is a "rare occurrence," New England Aquarium scientist says
New England Aquarium researchers recently documented what they say was a rare sighting of an endangered fin whale and its calf. Scientists on a July 24 aerial survey flew over the Northeast Canyons and Seamounts Marine National Monument, about 130 miles southeast of Cape Cod. They observed more than 1,000 marine animals, including seven fin whales, one endangered sperm whale, one humpback whale, two minke whales and more than 900 dolphins. "Seeing an endangered fin whale and its calf is a rare occurrence," assistant research scientist Kate Laemmle said in a statement Wednesday. The aquarium says the 5,000-square-mile monument has four underwater mountains and three deep-sea canyons. On past survey flights, enormous blue whales and other endangered whale species have been spotted in the monument waters. "Each survey speaks to the remarkable array of biodiversity that we see in the Monument," Laemmle said. According to the state's endangered species program, fin whales are the second-largest whale species, growing up to 85 feet long and weighing up to 80 tons. They can venture within 10 miles of the Massachusetts coastline throughout the year. Female whales typically give birth to a single calf off the mid-Atlantic states south between December and April. The fin whale population was once heavily hunted before federal protections, and now the biggest threats to the endangered population are ship strikes and entanglement in fishing gear. The sperm whale is also endangered, with fewer than 6,000 believed to be in the North Atlantic. The species known for its big brain has been seen south of Martha's Vineyard and Nantucket during summer aerial surveys. Earlier this year, researchers installed high-tech buoys in Cape Cod Bay and off Cape Ann to listen for vocalizations from large whales, including the critically endangered North Atlantic right whale.