Originally Posted By ChaliHo⏩

RG:Do we have any anecdotal evidence of Barbary Lions being spotted in Morocco / Algeria / Tunisia (The remote areas of the Atlas Range) in this century? Or is it well and truly extinct in the wild?

SB: There is no evidence of lions in north Africa in the 21st century. However, lions in north Africa died out much more recently than commonly thought. Most people think of them extinct by the 1920s, but they were around for nearly half a century longer.

Some individuals were present in Morocco and western Algeria into the 1940s. More recently, animals hung on in eastern Algeria and only disappeared during the period of military conflict in Algeria sometime around 1958-1962, when the last mountain forest habitats near the coast, used as military hideaways, were systematically destroyed by incendiary attacks.

RG:Is there still a surviving Barbary population in zoos globally? How can its genetic purity be kept secure?

SB: There is now a studbook of all animals of known documented descent from the King of Morocco’s collection (which was kept as a royal collection until 1969 when moved to Rabat Zoo in Morocco).

These animals (about 90 individuals) are now kept in zoos in Europe plus the Moroccan collection, which is in a modern zoo in Rabat. Zoos coordinate to keep and breed only members of this ‘royal lion’ group (which are northern lions), so bloodlines are maintained and not crossed with other zoo lions (which are all southern lions).

The royal lions are also kept separate from captive Asiatic lions (also northern lions, but from the dry forests of India, of course). This means that the royal lion ‘Barbary’ group, the Asiatic lion group and perhaps one or two West African lions can be considered the only remaining captive representatives of the northern sub-species Panthera leo leo . Each of these captive groups can be managed as separate conservation units.

RG:Can they ever be reintroduced back into the wild? Or is that nearly impossible now with their historic range all gone?

SB: Some existing large tracts of land in north Africa would be suitable for reintroduction, but considerable effort would be needed to restore sustainable levels of wild prey species (deer, boar, barbary sheep and gazelle), most of which are endangered species themselves.

Also protective measures to avoid human-lion conflict, including livestock predation would need to be implemented.

Reintroduction is theoretically possible but would need a sensitive long-term plan and considerable prior political and community support. Reintroduction of a predator like lions would have to be part of purposeful, wider landscape restoration in the region.

Originally Posted By bongowongo⏩

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Originally Posted By bongowongo⏩

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Originally Posted By Bluestar92⏩

Originally Posted By BRANDERSS⏩