Czech zoo welcomes 4 rare Barbary lion cubs whose population is extinct in the wild
By Karel Janicek
Dvur Kralove, Czech Republic (AP) – Four barbarism cubs were born recently in a Czech zoo, a vital contribution for a small surviving population of the rare lion which is extinguished in nature.
The three women and a male were seen playing in their outdoor speakers at the Safari Dvůr Králopé park on Wednesday, having fun under the vigilant eyes of their parents, Khalila and Bart.
It will change soon. As part of an international endangered species program that coordinates efforts for their captivity survival, Cubs will be sent to other participating parks, including the Beersheba zoo in Israel.
There is a good chance that it is not the end of the history of the animal.
Deputy Director of DVůR Králové, Jaroslav Hyjánek, said that preliminary measures have been taken for a possible reintroduction of the barbaric lion in his natural habitat, it is always a “very distant future”.
The majestic member of the Lion Northern subspecies, the Lion Barbary, once freely traveled its native North Africa, including the Atlas mountains.
Symbol of strength, they were almost completely destroyed due to human activities. Many were killed by gladiators in Roman times, while rivicity and a loss of habitat contributed to their extinction later.
The last photo known to a wild lion was taken in 1925, while the last individual was killed in 1942.
It is believed that the last small populations disappeared in the wild in the mid -1960s.
It is currently estimated that less than 200 barbarism lions live in captivity.
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One of the four Lion Cubs Barbary, recently born in the Safari Park Dvur Kralove, takes place in his enclosure, Czech Republic, Wednesday August 6, 2025. (AP photo / Petr David Josek)
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One of the four Lion Cubs Barbary, recently born in the Safari Park Dvur Kralove, takes place in his enclosure, Czech Republic, Wednesday August 6, 2025. (AP photo / Petr David Josek)
Develop
Hyjánek said that after the first talks with the Moroccan authorities, who did not reject the idea of their reintroduction, a conference of experts was planned to take place in Morocco at the end of this year or at the beginning of 2026 to decide if it would be logical to go ahead with such a plan in one of the national parks of Mountains Atlas.
Any reintroduction would be confronted with many bureaucratic and other obstacles. Since the lion has not been present in the environment for a long time, the plans should ensure their protection, a sufficient population of prey and cooperation and the approval of local communities.
Hyjánek said that such a decision was still worth trying to be tried if it turns out to be sustainable.
“It is important to have such a vision for any animal,” he said. “Without that, the existence of zoos would not make sense.”
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