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”.
One of the four cubs plays with its parents at the Dvůr Králové safari park. Photograph: Petr David Josek/AP
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 parents, Bart and Khalila, rest in their enclosure. Photograph: Petr David Josek/AP
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.
Three of the four cubs at play. Photograph: Petr David Josek/AP
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.”
