Three rare Barbary lion cubs born in Czech zoo park
Newly born Barbary lion cubs stand near their mother Khalila inside their enclosure. Reuters
Three Barbary lion cubs have been born in a Czech zoo, a vital contribution to a small surviving population of the rare lion subspecies that is extinct in the wild.
READ MORE
Seventy percent of wildlife lost since 1970: WWF
Japans tuna market the worlds largest hit hard by coronavirus pandemicLargest flying animal in history identified: study
The triplets, all female, were born on July 5 in the Dvur Kralove Park. They have taken their first steps in their outdoor enclosure this week under the careful supervision of their mother, Khalila. They are yet to be named.
One of the biggest lion subspecies, which once roamed its native northern Africa, Barbary lions were almost completely wiped out due to human activities. Many were killed by gladiators in Roman times, while hunting contributed to their extinction later.
It’s believed Barbary lions went extinct in the wild in the middle of the 1960s. Only a few dozen survived in the collection of the King of Morocco.
The Czech zoo is part of a pan-European endangered species program that coordinates efforts for their survival in captivity.
Currently, their global population is estimated at around 100.
