Latest news with #DvůrKrálové
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Science
- Yahoo
Zoo Welcomes 4 Rare Lion Cubs From a Subspecies Extinct in the Wild, Sparking Reintroduction Hopes
The Barbary lion cubs were born at the Dvůr Králové Safari Park in the Czech Republic in JanuaryNEED TO KNOW Four adorable, rare Barbary lion cubs made their public debut earlier this year at a zoo in the Czech Republic, and there are fresh photos of the quartet The births are part of Dvůr Králové Safari Park's plans to eventually reintroduce the subspecies of lion, which is extinct in the wild, to its native habitat Barbary lions went extinct in the wild in the middle of the 1960s, per the Associated PressA zoo in the Czech Republic is hoping to reintroduce a rare subspecies of lion to its native habitat decades after it went extinct in the wild. On Wednesday, Aug. 6, the zoo shared new photos of its four adorable Barbary lion cubs who were born at the Dvůr Králové Safari Park in January and made their public debut in April, according to a Facebook post from the zoo. In the new images of the cubs, three females and one male, the baby big cats have fun while their parents, Khalila and Bart, watch on. Experts at the zoo hope the cubs won't spend their entire lives in the park, per the Associated Press. The cubs will be sent to other zoos and animal parks once they're older as part of an "international endangered species program that coordinates efforts for their survival in captivity," the news agency stated. One of the goals of this program is to reintroduce Barbary lions to their natural habitat eventually. Despite the mission to reintroduce the subspecies to the wild being underway, Dvůr Králové Deputy Director Jaroslav Hyjánek insisted the goal likely won't happen until the "far distant future," per the AP. There have been talks about whether it would be possible to reintroduce the lions —a subspecies thought to have gone extinct in the wild in the mid-1960s — in an area such as Morocco's Atlas Mountains. Hyjánek told the AP that Moroccan authorities hadn't rejected the idea, but the park acknowledged that it was an "ambitious project" in a Facebook post on Wednesday. A conference of experts is expected to discuss the plans later this year or in early 2026, the AP noted, adding that a reintroduction "would face numerous bureaucratic and other obstacles" because the lion has not been in the wild for so long. Barbary lions' natural habitat used to be in northern Africa, including the Atlas Mountains, but the last known photo of wild lions in the area was taken in 1925, the AP stated. The last documented wild Barbary lion kill was in 1942. It's thought that small populations of the lions survived in the wild until approximately 20 years later. Less than 200 are now estimated to live in captivity, per the news agency. Human activities played a huge part in the lion subspecies' decline, the AP reported, adding that many of the lions were killed by gladiators in Roman times. Overhunting and a loss of habitat also contributed to their extinction. Hyjánek said he is hopeful for the Barbary lion's future, "It's important to have such a vision for any animal," per the news agency, adding, "Without it, the existence of zoos wouldn't make sense." This isn't the first time Barbary cubs have been introduced to the pack at Dvůr Králové Safari Park, with two being born in May 2019, three in July 2020, and two in July 2021; all to mom Khalila. Never miss a story — sign up for to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. The zoo previously confirmed Khalila was one of two Barbary lionesses to have arrived at the park back in 2018. The facility wrote at the time, "Barbary lions are an extinct subspecies in the wild. They used to inhabit areas of North Africa. Nowadays, people can only find them in zoos. In the future, Safari Park Dvůr Králové would like to breed these rare beasts." Read the original article on People
The Guardian
5 days ago
- General
- The Guardian
Four rare Barbary lion cubs born at Czech zoo
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 Midbarium 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.'
CBS News
5 days ago
- Science
- 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."
The Independent
5 days ago
- General
- The Independent
Zoo welcomes four new rare Barbary lion cubs whose population is extinct outside of protection
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."
The Guardian
5 days ago
- General
- The Guardian
Four rare Barbary lion cubs born at Czech zoo
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.'
