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Czech zoo welcomes 4 rare Barbary lion cubs whose population is extinct in the wild

Czech zoo welcomes 4 rare Barbary lion cubs whose population is extinct in the wild

Independent9 hours ago
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.
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
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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Zoo welcomes four new rare Barbary lion cubs whose population is extinct outside of protection
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Four Barbary lion cubs, a type of lion extinct in the wild, have been born at a Czech zoo, offering a vital boost to global conservation efforts for the rare big cat. The arrival of the three females and one male marks a significant contribution to the small surviving population of these majestic animals. The playful cubs were recently observed enjoying their outdoor enclosure at Dvůr Králové Safari Park, under the watchful eyes of their parents, Khalila and Bart. However, their time at the park will be limited. As part of an international endangered species programme coordinating their survival in captivity, the cubs are destined for other participating zoos, including the Beersheba zoo in Israel. While their immediate future lies in captivity, there is a long-term vision for the Barbary lion. Jaroslav Hyjánek, Deputy Director of Dvůr Králové, stated that preliminary steps have been taken towards a possible reintroduction of the species into its natural habitat, though he acknowledged it remains a "far distant future." Once a symbol of strength, the Barbary lion, a majestic member of the Northern lion subspecies, freely roamed its native northern Africa, including the Atlas Mountains. Human activities led to their near-total eradication; many were killed by gladiators in Roman times, while overhunting and habitat loss contributed to their later extinction. The last known photograph of a wild Barbary lion was taken in 1925, with the last individual killed in 1942. It is believed the final small wild populations died out in the mid-1960s. Fewer than 200 Barbary lions are currently estimated to live in captivity worldwide. Czech zoo welcomes 4 rare Barbary lion cubs whose population is extinct in the wild Show all 5 Mr Hyjánek confirmed initial talks with Moroccan authorities, who have not rejected the idea of reintroduction. A conference of experts is now planned for late this year or early 2026 in Morocco to assess the feasibility of such a plan within one of the national parks in the Atlas Mountains. Any reintroduction would face numerous bureaucratic and practical obstacles, including ensuring the lions' protection, a sufficient prey population, and securing cooperation and approval from local communities. Despite the challenges, Mr Hyjánek believes such a move is worth pursuing if it proves sustainable. "It's important to have such a vision for any animal," he said. "Without it, the existence of zoos wouldn't make sense."

Four rare Barbary lion cubs born at Czech zoo
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Four Barbary lion cubs were born recently in a Czech zoo, a vital contribution for the small surviving population of a 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 under the watchful eye of their parents, Khalila and Bart. That will change soon. As part of an international endangered species programme that coordinates efforts for the lions' survival in captivity, the cubs will be sent to other participating parks, including the Beersheba zoo in Israel. There is a chance that may not be the end of the story. The deputy director of Dvůr Králové, Jaroslav Hyjánek, said preliminary steps had been taken to possibly reintroduce the Barbary lion into its natural habitat – but that was still in the 'far distant future.' The Barbary lion, a majestic member of the northern lion subspecies, once roamed freely in its native north Africa, including the Atlas mountains. A symbol of strength, the Barbary lion was almost wiped out by humans. Many were killed by gladiators in Roman times, while overhunting and the loss of habitat contributed to their later near extinction. The last known photo of a wild lion was taken in 1925. It is believed the last small populations went extinct in the wild in the mid-1960s. Fewer than 200 Barbary lions are now estimated to live in captivity. Hyjánek said that after initial talks with Moroccan authorities, who have not rejected the idea of the lions' reintroduction, a conference of experts has been planned in Morocco for later this year or early 2026 to decide whether to go ahead with such a scheme in one of the national parks in the Atlas mountains. Any reintroduction would face bureaucratic and other obstacles. As the lions have not been present in the environment for so long, the plans would have to ensure the animals' protection, a sufficient prey population, and cooperation and approval from local communities. Hyjánek said reintroduction was still worth trying if it turned 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.'

Czech zoo welcomes 4 rare Barbary lion cubs whose population is extinct in the wild
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The Independent

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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. 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 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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