The photo above is Akef a severely endangered Barbary Lion, characterized by the heavy dark head mane and belly mane. Below is Legend, one of Sigfried and Roys White Lions at the Toledo zoo. He is rare, according to press releases.
Legend photo provided by Mary Ann Howell
Monday, July 28, 2008
Severely endangered or Rare--In what direction are our conservation efforts headed?
Posted by
Wade G. Burck
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13 comments:
Wade, we were fortunate to see Barbary lions at Out of Africa north of Phoenix. I understand how much more important it is to conserve severely endangered species over rare novelties, and I believe you stated this when we were there.
Mary Ann
Wade, where is Akef? I would guess somewhere in Europe?
Mary Ann
Mary Ann,
Iran. And you will get no more then that for now, so don't ask.
Wade
Ah ha, there's one I can partially answer. Akef was one of the lions abandoned by an Southern African circus when it went broke. I remember also reading of another Barbary lion that was found in an Egyptian circus - no one would say how they aquired it.
Ian
Ian,
Why did I assume you would scrounge for dirt? LOL For every bad you can give me, and there has been bad, I can give you 3 good. It is not an industry, it is individuals.
Wade
Ian,
And I can offer John Herriott the same deal in reverse. I'm an animal appreciator, not a trouper. And contrary to what you may here, that makes me disloyal to nothing, and loyal to animals.
Wade
Hey, no dirt scrounging involved - just saying where the lion came from.LOL
Ian
Wade and Ian,
DNA profiling has, so far, not proven any fair dinkum Barbary Lions.
Some zoos claim to have them, even fewer circuses likewise, but so far NONE have been proven to be the real thing.
Some years ago, after some of my lions were shown on TV over here, a very earnest university lecturer contacted me to assure me that I had extremely rare, historically significant Barbary Lions!!!!!!! They were old generic Africans with thick black manes and belly hair - that's all.
Wade, while I applaud conservation efforts, I will continue to go out of my way to patronize and support only those zoos that give me the animals that I want to see, which include white tigers, champagne lions, and extensive cat collections. If those are gone before I am, then I will no longer be a zoo patron. Smart zoos like Omaha know this, and realize that they can't force-feed tree frogs to people.
Mary Ann
Lions in captivity today have been bred and cross-bred from lions captured in Africa long ago, with examples from all of these described "subspecies". Mixed together, hybridized, most of today's captive lions have a 'soup' of genes from many different lions.
Compound that with the many other variables that decide the extent and color of a lion's mane and you begin to see just how inappropriate the following statement is: "This lion has a long mane and so must be a Barbary". First the DNA fingerprinting had to be produced, otherwise there was no definitive way to identify a lion as Barbary. In 2006, results of mitochondrial DNA research showed a mtDNA haplotype that is unique to the Barbary lion. This could be a good molecular marker for identifying Barbary lions.
However, the morphology of the Barbary lion is quite distinct (ignoring the mane) and, more importantly, with details of a lion's parentage and background we can identify those most likely to be descended from the original Barbary lion. These lions are also the ones that people focus on in the Barbary Lion Project.
However, the morphology of the Barbary lion is quite distinct (ignoring the mane) and, more importantly, with details of a lion's parentage and background we can identify those most likely to be descended from the original Barbary lion. These lions are also the ones that people focus on in the Barbary Lion Project. These lions will be part of the Atlas Lion Project in order to try to restore the lost Barbary lion. The final phase of the project will see the lions released into a National Park in the Atlas Mountains of Morocco. Sadly, due completely to lack of funding, the project is now indefinitely on hold until the funds are raised. Those people and institutions with project lions are trying to just maintain our bloodlines allowing only minimal breeding when absolutely necessary. For more information please visit the Preservation Station Inc. website: http://www.barbarylion.com.
In 2005, Mitochondrial DNA research revealed that a lion specimen from Neuwied Zoo, who claim to have Barbary Lions, that its mitochondrial lineage is not of sub-Saharan origin and, thus, very likely a descendant of a Barbary lion. In 2006, Mitochondrial DNA research revealed that five tested samples of the lions from the collection of the King of Morocco are not maternally Barbary. Unlike the Cape lion, the results do support the "distinctness" of the Barbary lion.
Wade, here is a list of institutions that claim to have Barbary lions, according to ISIS:
BELFAST
HERBERSTN
LES SABLE
LYMPNE
LYON
MADRID
MONTPELLI
OLOMOUC
PLZEN
STUTTGART
VIENNA
It was with this list in mind that I guessed that Akef was somewhere in Europe. Also, I do not see Neuwied Zoo on this list. Could you please tell me where it is? My guess is Germany? Also, when we were at Out of Africa north of Phoenix, our bus tour guide, who has been there a long time, told us that to her knowledge, their Barbary lions and Cape lions have never been DNA tested. And yes, I am aware that Cape lions have been found not to be a distinct subspecies.
Mary Ann
One of the most interesting things I read was the two lion sculls found in the moat around the Tower of London, which are supposedly Barbary Lions. According to the story, lions used to be kept as guards at the tower.
Ian
Ian,
I don't know if turning them loose in the entry way is "guarding". Most "guard" animals will heel, Auf, come, stay, etc. LOL
Wade
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