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Jordan News
6 days ago
- General
- Jordan News
Czech zoo welcomes 4 rare Barbary lion cubs whose population is extinct in the wild - Jordan News
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. اضافة اعلان 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.'
Morocco World
08-08-2025
- General
- Morocco World
Four Barbary Lion Cubs Born in Czech Zoo, Morocco Leads Reintroduction Efforts
Marrakech – Four Barbary lion cubs were recently born at Dvůr Králové Safari Park in the Czech Republic. The three females and one male cub were seen playing in their outdoor enclosure on Wednesday under the watchful eyes of their parents, Khalila and Bart, according to the Associated Press (AP). The cubs represent a vital contribution to the small surviving population of this rare lion subspecies. As part of an international endangered species program, they will soon be sent to other participating parks, including the Beersheba zoo in Israel. Dvůr Králové Deputy Director Jaroslav Hyjánek told the AP that preliminary steps have been taken for a possible reintroduction of the Barbary lion into its natural habitat. Initial talks with Moroccan authorities have not rejected the idea of reintroduction in one of the Atlas Mountains national parks. 'It's important to have such a vision for any animal,' Hyjánek said to the AP. 'Without it, the existence of zoos wouldn't make sense.' A conference of experts is planned in Morocco for late 2025 or early 2026 to evaluate the feasibility of such a plan. Any reintroduction would face numerous obstacles since the lion has been absent from the environment for decades. Morocco currently hosts the world's largest collection of Barbary lions, with populations varying between 30 and 40 individuals. The Rabat National Zoological Garden announced last October that a Barbary lion cub born in August 2024 would be presented to visitors. Named Azaghar, the male cub was born on July 26, 2024, to 13-year-old mother Massa and 8-year-old father Layt. The birth was the result of a breeding program that began in 2022. Read also: Culture Minister: History Supports Atlas Lions' Centuries-Old Presence in Morocco 'Right after the birth of the Atlas lion cub, there are a number of measures that we undertake immediately,' explained Saad Azizi, head of the veterinary and zoological service at Rabat National Zoo at the time. These include housing arrangements, veterinary examinations, and eventual reintroduction to the group. The cub was initially dependent on his mother's milk but has since been weaned and is eating meat. Since its opening in 2012, the Rabat Zoo has recorded about 18 lion births. The Barbary lion, a majestic member of the Northern lion subspecies, once roamed freely across northern Africa, including the Atlas Mountains. They were almost completely wiped out due to human activities, including being killed by gladiators in Roman times, overhunting, and habitat loss. The last known photo of a wild Barbary lion was taken in 1925, with the last individual killed in 1942. It's believed the last small populations went extinct in the wild by the mid-1960s. Fewer than 200 Barbary lions are currently estimated to live in captivity worldwide. Through its conservation program, the Rabat Zoo aims to maintain a founding population by promoting controlled reproduction and ensuring balanced management. According to the IUCN, Barbary lions are now classified as part of the Panthera leo leo subspecies, which includes lions from West Africa across to northeast Africa and India. While the Barbary lion subpopulation has not been officially assessed as Extinct in the Wild, lions are extinct across their entire North African range. Tags: Barbary lionCzech republic and morocco
The Journal
07-08-2025
- General
- The Journal
Four new cubs of a rare lion species have been born in a European zoo
FOUR BARBARY LION cubs have been born in a Czech zoo, adding to a small surviving population of the rare lion which is extinct in the wild. The three females and one male are currently living in the Dvur Kralove Safari Park, located about 140km north-east of Prague, under the watchful eyes of their parents, Khalila and Bart. As they grow bigger, the cubs will be sent to other participating parks as part of an international endangered species programme which coordinates efforts for their survival in captivity. Dvur Kralove Safari Park deputy director Jaroslav Hyjanek said that while preliminary steps have been taken for a possible reintroduction of the Barbary lion into its natural habitat, it is still a 'far distant future'. A member of the northern lion subspecies, the Barbary lion once roamed freely its native northern Africa, including the Atlas Mountains. They were almost completely wiped out because of human activity. Many were killed by gladiators in Roman times, while overhunting and a loss of habitat contributed to their extinction in the wild later. The last known photo of a wild lion was taken in 1925, and the last individual was killed in 1942. Advertisement It is believed the last small populations became extinct in the wild in the middle of the 1960s. Fewer than 200 Barbary lions are estimated to live in captivity. One of the cubs lying with its parents PA PA Hyjanek 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 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 co-operation and approval from local communities. Hyjanek 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.'
Yahoo
07-08-2025
- 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
NDTV
07-08-2025
- General
- NDTV
Rare Barbary Lions, Extinct In The Wild, Born At Czech Zoo
Four Barbary lion cubs were born recently in a Czech zoo, a vital contribution to 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 Dvur Kralove 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. Dvur Kralove Deputy Director Jaroslav Hyjanek 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 Hyjanek 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. Hyjanek 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." (Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
