The three female lions and one male lions were seen playing in the zoo’s outdoor enclosure for the first time. Fewer than 200 Barbary lions exist in the world
Four Barbary lion cubs were born in a zoo, marking a crucial milestone for the tiny remaining population of this rare species that no longer exists in the wild.
The three females and one male were spotted playing in their outdoor habitat at Dvur Kralove Safari Park in the Czech Republic on Wednesday, playing around while their parents, Khalila and Bart, kept a protective watch.
However, this family time won’t last long, as the cubs are destined for relocation to other participating facilities, including Israel’s Beersheba zoo, as part of an international conservation program designed to preserve the species in captivity. But this separation might not mark the final chapter in their story.
According to Dvur Kralove Deputy Director Jaroslav Hyjanek, while initial groundwork has been laid for potentially returning Barbary lions to their natural environment, such efforts remain in the “far distant future.”
These magnificent cats, part of the Northern lion subspecies, once ruled the landscapes of northern Africa, including the majestic Atlas Mountains.
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They faced near-total extinction through human interference, from being slaughtered by gladiators during Roman rule to suffering from excessive hunting and habitat destruction in later centuries.
The final documented photograph of a wild Barbary lion was captured in 1925, with the last known individual killed in 1942.
Experts believe the final wild populations disappeared completely by the mid-1960s.
Today, fewer than 200 Barbary lions are thought to survive in captivity worldwide. Hyjanek revealed that following preliminary discussions with Moroccan officials, who haven’t dismissed the reintroduction concept, an expert summit has been scheduled for Morocco in late this year or early 2026 to determine the feasibility of moving forward with such an initiative in one of the Atlas Mountains’ national parks.
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Any reintroduction effort would encounter countless administrative and logistical challenges. Given the lion’s prolonged absence from the ecosystem, the proposals would need to guarantee their safety, establish adequate prey numbers, and secure backing and consent from neighboring communities.
Hyjanek emphasized that such an endeavor remains worthwhile if it proves viable in the long term.
“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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