IUCN / SSC Cat Specialist Group - Digital Cat Library |
|
||||||||||
|
||||||||||
|
|
| Hemmer, H.; Burger, J. | |
| Genetic confirmation of the unique nature of the zoo population of the barbary lion | |
| 2005 International Zoo News (52): 218-223 | |
The Barbary, or Atlas, lion (Panthera leo leo L., 1758) became extinct in the wild during the second half of the 19th century. The story of this famous cat probably ended in 1891 in Tunisia and in 1893 in Algeria, but not before 1942 in Morocco. A last pure-bread captive Barbary lion group was installed at the end of the 19th century in the lion's garden of the Sultan of Morocco. A part of this then still flourishing palace breeding group was sold during the sultan's exile between 1953 and 1955. King Hassan II after transferred the remaining animals to the new-founded Moroccan National Zoo, where they served as a visitor highlight. Unfortunately, we cannot exclude the possibility of multiple genetic contamination by lions introduced into this captivity breeding group from other sources during the line's near century of history. The paper presented here is a first step toward further completing the still-fragmentary mosaic of the former free-ranging Barbary lion ancestors and their zoo-bound last descendants using new knowledge gained from mtDNA sequences. |
|
 |
PDF files are only accessible to Friends of the Cat Group. Joining Friends of the Cat Group gives you unlimited access and downloads in the Cat SG Library for one year, and allows you to receive our newsletter Cat News (2 regular issues per year plus special issues). More information how to join here |
(c) IUCN/SSC Cat Specialist Group ( IUCN - The World Conservation Union) |