Barbary lion | Size, Habitat, Extinction, & Facts

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class="material-icons text-gray-400 d-lg-none" data-icon="toc"></em> <a class="font-serif font-weight-bold text-black link-blue" href="https://www.britannica.com/animal/Barbary-lion">Barbary lion</a> </div> <button aria-label="Close" class="js-sections-close-button btn-link btn-sm btn d-lg-none position-absolute top-0 p-10 right-0" > <em class="material-icons font-26" data-icon="close"></em> </button> </div> <div class="section-content pl-10 pr-20 pl-sm-50 pr-sm-60 pl-lg-5 pr-lg-10 pt-10 pt-lg-0 bg-gray-50 clear-catfish-ad"> <div class="toc mb-20"> <div class="font-serif font-14 font-weight-bold mx-15 mb-15 mt-20"> Table of Contents </div> <ul class="list-unstyled my-0" data-level="h1"><li data-target="#ref1"><div class="pl-25"><a class="link-gray-900 w-100" href="/animal/Barbary-lion">Introduction & Top Questions</a></div><div class="ml-40 toc-drawer sub-toc-drawer"></div></li><li data-target="#ref400228"><div class="d-flex align-items-center"><div class="ml-25"></div><a class="w-100 link-gray-900" href="/animal/Barbary-lion#ref400228">Natural history</a></div><div class="ml-40 toc-drawer sub-toc-drawer"></div></li><li data-target="#ref400229"><div class="d-flex align-items-center"><div class="ml-25"></div><a class="w-100 link-gray-900" href="/animal/Barbary-lion#ref400229">Conservation status</a></div><div class="ml-40 toc-drawer sub-toc-drawer"></div></li></ul> <a class="toc-extra-link link-gray-900" href="https://www.britannica.com/animal/Barbary-lion/additional-info">References & Edit History</a> <a class="toc-extra-link link-gray-900" href="/facts/Barbary-lion">Quick Facts & Related Topics</a> </div> <div class="tlr-media-slider pb-10 mb-30"> <a class="section-header link-gray-900 font-serif font-14 font-weight-bold mb-10 mx-10" href="https://www.britannica.com/animal/Barbary-lion/images-videos">Images</a> <div class="slider js-slider position-relative d-inline-flex align-items-center mw-100 "> <div class="slider-container js-slider-container overflow-hidden d-flex overflow-hidden text-nowrap ml-15"> <a href="https://cdn.britannica.com/91/257691-050-5FA74650/Barbary-lion-early-1900s.jpg" data-href="/media/1/1181310/321042" class="media-overlay-link d-inline-block mr-5"> <img loading="lazy" src="https://cdn.britannica.com/91/257691-004-04F1F9A6/Barbary-lion-early-1900s.jpg" alt="Barbary lion" height="50" /> </a> <a href="https://cdn.britannica.com/86/257786-050-3CD9598A/Barbary-lion-Atlas-Mountains-1925.jpg" data-href="/media/1/1181310/321043" class="media-overlay-link d-inline-block mr-5"> <img loading="lazy" src="https://cdn.britannica.com/86/257786-004-739A0527/Barbary-lion-Atlas-Mountains-1925.jpg" alt="Lonely crossing" height="50" /> </a> <a href="https://cdn.britannica.com/87/257787-050-69848B14/Female-so-called-Barbary-Lion-with-cubs-Hanover-Zoo-Germnay.jpg" data-href="/media/1/1181310/321044" class="media-overlay-link d-inline-block mr-5"> <img loading="lazy" src="https://cdn.britannica.com/87/257787-004-0F51F27D/Female-so-called-Barbary-Lion-with-cubs-Hanover-Zoo-Germnay.jpg" alt="Descendants of the Moroccan royal family's lions" height="50" /> </a> <a href="https://cdn.britannica.com/88/257788-050-0F1A2013/So-called-Barbary-Lion-Belfast-Zoo.jpg" data-href="/media/1/1181310/321045" class="media-overlay-link d-inline-block mr-5"> <img loading="lazy" src="https://cdn.britannica.com/88/257788-004-0A64E847/So-called-Barbary-Lion-Belfast-Zoo.jpg" alt="Descendants of the Moroccan royal family's lions" height="50" /> </a> </div> <button disabled class="prev-button js-prev-button position-absolute btn btn-circle shadow btn-blue " aria-label="Previous"> <span class="material-icons md-24" data-icon="keyboard_arrow_left"></span> </button> <button disabled class="next-button js-next-button position-absolute btn btn-circle shadow btn-blue " aria-label="Next"> <span class="material-icons md-24" data-icon="keyboard_arrow_right"></span> </button> </div> 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Barbary lions are best known for their large size and the long, dark manes in males.</span></span> <button class="js-more-btn d-none btn btn-unstyled font-12 bg-white js-content" aria-label="Toggle more/less fact data"> <span class="link-blue">(more)</span> </button> </span> </div> </figcaption> </figure> </div><div class="topic-header"> <div class="d-flex align-items-top justify-content-between"> <div class="d-flex flex-column"> <div> <div> <h1>Barbary lion</h1></div> </div> <div class="topic-identifier font-16 font-md-20">mammal</div> </div> </div> <div class="d-none d-sm-flex flex-row"> <div class="mr-10 mb-15"> <button class="ai-ask-button btn border-2 btn-sm js-inline-ai-ask-button btn-outline-red-400 border-red-400"> Ask the Chatbot a Question </button> </div> <div class="d-none d-sm-block md-topic-tools qa-action-buttons mb-15" data-topic-id="1181310"> <button class="js-tooltip btn btn-sm btn-outline-blue border pr-10 border-2" > <em class="material-icons md-icon ml-n10 my-n5 mr-5" data-icon="more_vert"></em> More Actions </button> <div class="md-more-popover popover popover-sm p-0 font-14 z-1"> <div> <button class="js-print-modal-button js-modal gtm-topic-tool btn btn-sm btn-link gtm-topic-tool font-weight-bold btn-link" data-modal="[data-topic-id=1181310] .md-print-modal" > <em class="material-icons mr-5 ml-n10 my-n5 md-icon" data-icon="print"></em> Print </button> <div class="md-print-modal size-lg d-none"> <div class="md-modal-body"> <div class="h2 font-serif d-flex align-items-center pb-15 border-bottom"> <em class="material-icons text-blue mr-10">print</em> Print </div> <div class="mt-20 mb-10"> Please select which sections you would like to print: </div> <form action="/print/article/1181310" method="post" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> <div class="print-box-items"> <ul class="list-unstyled"> <li><label><input class="mr-10" type="checkbox" name="sequence[]" value="0">Table Of Contents</label></li> </ul> </div> <input type="submit" class="btn btn-blue md-disabled" value="Print" /> </form> </div> </div> </div> <div> <button class="js-modal qa-cite-modal-button btn btn-sm btn-link gtm-topic-tool font-weight-bold btn-link" data-modal="[data-topic-id=1181310] .md-cite-modal"> <em class="material-icons mr-5 ml-n10 my-n5 md-icon" data-icon="verified"></em> Cite </button> <div class="md-cite-modal size-lg d-none"> <div class="md-modal-body"> <div class="h2 font-serif d-flex align-items-center pb-15 border-bottom mb-15"> <em class="material-icons text-blue mr-10">verified</em>Cite </div> <div class="font-serif"> While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. 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Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login). </div> <div class="type-menu"> <label for="feedback-type" class="label mb-10">Feedback Type</label> <select id="feedback-type" class="form-select mb-30" name="feedbackTypeId" required> <option value="" selected="selected">Select a type (Required)</option> <option value="1">Factual Correction</option> <option value="2">Spelling/Grammar Correction</option> <option value="3">Link Correction</option> <option value="4">Additional Information</option> <option value="5">Other</option> </select> </div> <label for="feedback" class="label mb-10">Your Feedback</label> <textarea id="feedback" class="form-control mb-30" name="feedback" maxlength="3000" rows="7" required></textarea> <button class="btn btn-blue" type="submit">Submit Feedback</button> </form> <div class="success-messaging d-none mt-30"> <div class="title">Thank you for your feedback</div> <p>Our editors will review what you’ve submitted and determine whether to revise the article.</p> </div> </div> </div> <div class="md-websites-modal size-lg d-none"> <div class="md-modal-body"> <div class="h2 font-serif pb-15 border-bottom font-weight-bold"> External Websites </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="toc-header-marker"></div> <button class="ai-ask-button btn border-2 js-header-ai-ask-button d-none btn-sm btn-outline-red-400 border-red-400 mr-0 mr-lg-10 ml-5 ml-sm-10 ml-lg-0 p-10"> Ask the Chatbot a Question </button> <div class="caption alternate-titles">Also known as: Atlas lion, North African lion, Panthera leo leo</div> <div class="md-byline module-spacing "> <div class="font-serif font-12"> <span class="written-by text-gray-700"> Written by </span> <div class="editor-popover popover p-0"> <a class="d-block p-20 gtm-byline font-12 byline-contributor" href="/editor/John-P-Rafferty/6747" > <div class="editor-title font-16 font-weight-bold">John P. Rafferty</div> <div class="editor-description font-12 font-serif mt-5 clamp-description text-black">John P. Rafferty writes about Earth processes and the environment. He serves currently as the editor of Earth and life sciences, covering climatology, geology, zoology, and other topics that relate to...</div> </a> <div data-popper-arrow></div> </div> <span class="btn btn-link editor-link p-0 qa-byline-link gtm-byline font-12 byline-contributor text-decoration-underline"> John P. Rafferty</span></div> <div class="font-serif font-12 text-gray-700"> <span class="qa-fact-checked-by">Fact-checked by</span> <div class="editor-popover popover p-0"> <a class="d-block p-20 font-12" href="/editor/The-Editors-of-Encyclopaedia-Britannica/4419" > <div class="editor-title font-16 font-weight-bold">The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica</div> <div class="editor-description font-12 font-serif mt-5 text-black">Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree. They write new content and verify and edit content received from contributors.</div> </a> <div data-popper-arrow></div> </div> <span class="btn btn-link editor-link p-0 qa-byline-link font-12 "> The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica</span></div> <div class="last-updated font-12 font-serif"> <span class="text-gray-700"> Last Updated: <time datetime="2024-11-22T00:00:00CST" >Nov 22, 2024</time> •</span> <a class="byline-edit-history" href="https://www.britannica.com/animal/Barbary-lion/additional-info#history" rel="nofollow">Article History</a> </div></div> </div> <button class="d-flex d-lg-none btn btn-outline-blue border rounded-sm shadow-sm mobile-toc-button gtm-mobile-toc-inline-button d-none d-sm-block js-sections-inline-button module-spacing btn d-lg-none"> <em class="material-icons mr-5 ml-n10 my-n5 md-icon" data-icon="toc"></em> Table of Contents </button> <div class="d-flex d-sm-none flex-row"> <button class="d-flex d-lg-none btn btn-outline-blue border rounded-sm shadow-sm mobile-toc-button gtm-mobile-toc-inline-button js-sections-inline-button module-spacing"> <em class="material-icons mr-5 ml-n10 my-n5 md-icon" data-icon="toc"></em> Table of Contents </button> <button class="ai-ask-button btn border-2 ai-ask-button btn border-2 module-spacing btn-sm js-inline-ai-ask-button btn-outline-red-400 border-red-400 p-10 ml-5"> Ask the Chatbot a Question </button> </div> <div class="js-qf-module qf-module px-40 px-sm-20 py-15 mx-auto module-spacing font-14 bg-gray-50 rounded"> <div class="facts-list mt-10"> <div class=""> <div class="js-fact mb-10 line-clamp clamp-3"> <dl> <dt>Also called: </dt> <dd>Atlas lion or North African lion</dd> </dl> <button class="js-more-btn d-none btn btn-unstyled font-12 bg-gray-50" aria-label="Toggle more/less fact data"> <em class="js-content link-blue">(Show more)</em> </button> </div> </div> <div class=""> <div class="js-fact mb-10 line-clamp clamp-3"> <dl> <dt>Related Topics: </dt> <dd><a href="/animal/lion" topicid="342664">lion</a></dd> </dl> <button class="js-more-btn d-none btn btn-unstyled font-12 bg-gray-50" aria-label="Toggle more/less fact data"> <em class="js-content link-blue">(Show more)</em> </button> </div> <div class="text-center"> <a class="btn btn-sm btn-link p-0" href="/facts/Barbary-lion"> See all related content </a> </div> </div> </div> </div><script type="application/ld+json"> { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@type": "FAQPage", "mainEntity": [ { "@type" : "Question", "name" : "<div> Where did Barbary lions historically live? <\/div><em><\/em>", "acceptedAnswer" : { "@type" : "Answer", "text" : "Barbary lions once inhabited large areas of North Africa\u2019s Maghreb region between the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/place\/Sahara-desert-Africa\">Sahara<\/a> desert and the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/place\/Mediterranean-Sea\">Mediterranean Sea<\/a>, from the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/place\/Atlas-Mountains\">Atlas Mountains<\/a> in <a href=\"https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/place\/Morocco\">Morocco<\/a> east to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/place\/Egypt\">Egypt<\/a>. These lions were separated from those of sub-Saharan Africa and Asia by the vast Sahara, which became too difficult to traverse in recent millennia." } } , { "@type" : "Question", "name" : "<div> What were Barbary lions known for? <\/div><em><\/em>", "acceptedAnswer" : { "@type" : "Answer", "text" : "Barbary lions were known for their size and long, dark manes. They were among the largest lions, weighing as much as 230 kg (500 pounds). Unsubstantiated reports from 19th- and early 20th-century hunters claim that some specimens measured as long as 3 meters (10 feet) and weighed more than 300 kg (660 pounds)." } } , { "@type" : "Question", "name" : "<div> Where can descendants of Barbary lions be found today? <\/div><em><\/em>", "acceptedAnswer" : { "@type" : "Answer", "text" : "Descendants of Barbary lions may be found in several <a href=\"https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/science\/zoo\">zoos<\/a> around the world, and several zoos advertise the descendants of lions once kept by the Moroccan royal family as true Barbary lions; however, genetic studies that attempt to link the surviving descendants of the Moroccan lions and Barbary lion stock remain inconclusive." } } ] } </script> <div class="top-questions qa-accordion d-flex flex-column module-spacing"><div class="font-weight-bold font-14 mb-5"> Top Questions </div><div id="intent-accordion" class="md-intent-accordion"><div class="top-question bg-gray-50 rounded" data-value="1"> <h3 class="accordion--question font-14 font-weight-normal cursor-pointer rounded"><div class="pe-none d-flex justify-content-between align-items-center"><div> Where did Barbary lions historically live? </div><em class="material-icons" data-icon="expand_more"></em></div></h3> <div class="accordion--answer hidden p-15 pt-5 font-16 mb-5"><div class="accordion--answer-copy"><p>Barbary lions once inhabited large areas of North Africa’s Maghreb region between the <a href="https://www.britannica.com/place/Sahara-desert-Africa" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Sahara</a> desert and the <a href="https://www.britannica.com/place/Mediterranean-Sea" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Mediterranean Sea</a>, from the <a href="https://www.britannica.com/place/Atlas-Mountains" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Atlas Mountains</a> in <a href="https://www.britannica.com/place/Morocco" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Morocco</a> east to <a href="https://www.britannica.com/place/Egypt" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Egypt</a>. These lions were separated from those of sub-Saharan Africa and Asia by the vast Sahara, which became too difficult to traverse in recent millennia.</p></div></div> </div><div class="top-question bg-gray-50 rounded" data-value="2"> <h3 class="accordion--question font-14 font-weight-normal cursor-pointer rounded"><div class="pe-none d-flex justify-content-between align-items-center"><div> What were Barbary lions known for? </div><em class="material-icons" data-icon="expand_more"></em></div></h3> <div class="accordion--answer hidden p-15 pt-5 font-16 mb-5"><div class="accordion--answer-copy"><p>Barbary lions were known for their size and long, dark manes. They were among the largest lions, weighing as much as 230 kg (500 pounds). Unsubstantiated reports from 19th- and early 20th-century hunters claim that some specimens measured as long as 3 meters (10 feet) and weighed more than 300 kg (660 pounds).</p></div></div> </div><div class="top-question bg-gray-50 rounded" data-value="3"> <h3 class="accordion--question font-14 font-weight-normal cursor-pointer rounded"><div class="pe-none d-flex justify-content-between align-items-center"><div> Where can descendants of Barbary lions be found today? </div><em class="material-icons" data-icon="expand_more"></em></div></h3> <div class="accordion--answer hidden p-15 pt-5 font-16 mb-5"><div class="accordion--answer-copy"><p>Descendants of Barbary lions may be found in several <a href="https://www.britannica.com/science/zoo" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">zoos</a> around the world, and several zoos advertise the descendants of lions once kept by the Moroccan royal family as true Barbary lions; however, genetic studies that attempt to link the surviving descendants of the Moroccan lions and Barbary lion stock remain inconclusive.</p></div></div> </div></div></div><span class="marker before-article"></span><section data-level="1" id="ref1"><span class="marker PREMOD1 mod-inline"></span><p class="topic-paragraph"><strong><span id="ref1331242"></span>Barbary lion</strong>, (subspecies <em>Panthera leo leo</em>), extinct <a href="https://www.britannica.com/animal/lion" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">lion</a> <a href="https://www.britannica.com/science/population-biology-and-anthropology" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">population</a> that once <a class="md-dictionary-link md-dictionary-tt-off eb" data-term="inhabited" href="https://www.britannica.com/dictionary/inhabited" data-type="EB">inhabited</a> large areas of <a href="https://www.britannica.com/place/North-Africa" class="md-crosslink autoxref " data-show-preview="true">North Africa’s</a> <span id="ref1331241"></span><a href="https://www.britannica.com/place/Maghreb" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Maghreb</a> region north of the <a href="https://www.britannica.com/place/Sahara-desert-Africa" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Sahara</a> from the <a href="https://www.britannica.com/place/Atlas-Mountains" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Atlas Mountains</a> in <a href="https://www.britannica.com/place/Morocco" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Morocco</a> east to <a href="https://www.britannica.com/place/Egypt" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Egypt</a>. <a href="https://www.britannica.com/place/Barbary" class="md-crosslink autoxref " data-show-preview="true">Barbary</a> lions were known for their size, and admiration for them dates back at least to the <a href="https://www.britannica.com/place/Roman-Empire" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Roman Empire</a>, whose officials used Barbary lions in their gladiatorial games. Although wild Barbary lions were largely extirpated by European hunters by the late 19th century, studies suggest that wild specimens may have survived into the 1960s. Several individuals purported to have been pure-blooded Barbary lions were kept by the Moroccan royal family until the 1970s, and the descendants of these lions can be found in several <a href="https://www.britannica.com/science/zoo" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">zoos</a> today. Barbary lions, along with <a href="https://www.britannica.com/animal/Asiatic-lion" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Asiatic lions</a> and African lions from <a href="https://www.britannica.com/place/western-Africa" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">West Africa</a> and <a href="https://www.britannica.com/place/central-Africa" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Central Africa</a>, are classified in the lion subspecies <em>P. leo leo</em>.</p><span class="marker MOD1 mod-inline"></span></section> <span class="marker h2"></span><section data-level="1" id="ref400228"> <h2 class="h1">Natural history</h2> <span class="marker PREMOD9 mod-inline"></span><div class="assemblies"><div class="w-100"><figure class="md-assembly m-0 mb-md-0 card card-borderless print-false" data-assembly-id="321043" data-asm-type="image"><div class="md-assembly-wrapper card-media " data-type="image"><a href="https://cdn.britannica.com/86/257786-050-3CD9598A/Barbary-lion-Atlas-Mountains-1925.jpg" class="gtm-assembly-link position-relative d-flex align-items-center justify-content-center media-overlay-link card-media" data-href="/media/1/1181310/321043"><picture><source media="(min-width: 680px)" srcset="https://cdn.britannica.com/86/257786-050-3CD9598A/Barbary-lion-Atlas-Mountains-1925.jpg?w=300"><img src="https://cdn.britannica.com/86/257786-050-3CD9598A/Barbary-lion-Atlas-Mountains-1925.jpg?w=300" alt="Lonely crossing" data-width="1600" data-height="967" loading="eager"></picture><button class="magnifying-glass btn btn-circle position-absolute shadow btn-white top-10 right-10" aria-label="Zoom in"><em class="material-icons link-blue" data-icon="zoom_in"></em></button></a></div><figcaption class="card-body"><div class="md-assembly-caption text-muted font-14 font-serif line-clamp"><span><a class="gtm-assembly-link md-assembly-title font-weight-bold d-inline font-sans-serif mr-5 media-overlay-link" href="https://cdn.britannica.com/86/257786-050-3CD9598A/Barbary-lion-Atlas-Mountains-1925.jpg" data-href="/media/1/1181310/321043">Lonely crossing</a><span>The last known photograph of a Barbary lion in the wild. The photo was taken from an aircraft crossing the Atlas Mountains on a route between Casablanca, Morocco, and Dakar, Senegal, in 1925.</span><button class="js-more-btn d-none btn btn-unstyled font-12 bg-white js-content" aria-label="Toggle more/less fact data"><span class="link-blue">(more)</span></button></span></div></figcaption></figure></div></div><p class="topic-paragraph">Despite the close evolutionary relationship that they had with West African, Central African, and Asiatic lions, Barbary lions possessed a number of distinctive visible physical <a class="md-dictionary-link md-dictionary-tt-off eb" data-term="characteristics" href="https://www.britannica.com/dictionary/characteristics" data-type="EB">characteristics</a>. Males were known for their long, dark manes that could extend to their chest and long, dark hair on their front legs and abdomen. Barbary lions were also large—among the largest lions known—weighing as much as 230 kg (500 pounds). Unsubstantiated reports from 19th- and early 20th-century hunters claim that some specimens measured as long as 3 meters (10 feet) and weighed more than 300 kg (660 pounds).</p><span class="marker MOD9 mod-inline"></span> <span class="marker PREMOD10 mod-inline"></span><p class="topic-paragraph">These lions are thought to have been nearly identical, ecologically and biologically, to other groups of lions in the <a href="https://www.britannica.com/science/species-taxon" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">species</a> (<em>see</em> <a href="https://www.britannica.com/animal/lion/Reproduction-and-life-cycle#ref325413" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">lion: Reproduction and life cycle</a>). They also functioned as <a href="https://www.britannica.com/science/apex-predator" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">apex predators</a> with a diet that relied on eating large <a href="https://www.britannica.com/science/herbivore" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">herbivorous</a> <a href="https://www.britannica.com/animal/mammal" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">mammals</a>, such as <a href="https://www.britannica.com/animal/deer" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">deer</a>, <a href="https://www.britannica.com/animal/gazelle" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">gazelles</a>, <a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/wild-boar-1843748" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">wild boar</a>, wild <a href="https://www.britannica.com/animal/domesticated-sheep" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">sheep</a>, and <a href="https://www.britannica.com/animal/livestock" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">livestock</a> in the region. Barbary lions did not form prides; they lived in pairs or small family groups. Barbary lions lived up to 12 years in the wild and up to 20 in captivity.</p><span class="marker MOD10 mod-inline"></span> </section> <span class="marker h3"></span><section data-level="1" id="ref400229"> <h2 class="h1">Conservation status</h2> <span class="marker PREMOD11 mod-inline"></span><div class="assemblies"><div class="w-100"><figure class="md-assembly m-0 mb-md-0 card card-borderless print-false" data-assembly-id="321044" data-asm-type="image"><div class="md-assembly-wrapper card-media " data-type="image"><a href="https://cdn.britannica.com/87/257787-050-69848B14/Female-so-called-Barbary-Lion-with-cubs-Hanover-Zoo-Germnay.jpg" class="gtm-assembly-link position-relative d-flex align-items-center justify-content-center media-overlay-link card-media" data-href="/media/1/1181310/321044"><picture><source media="(min-width: 680px)" srcset="https://cdn.britannica.com/87/257787-050-69848B14/Female-so-called-Barbary-Lion-with-cubs-Hanover-Zoo-Germnay.jpg?w=300"><img src="https://cdn.britannica.com/87/257787-050-69848B14/Female-so-called-Barbary-Lion-with-cubs-Hanover-Zoo-Germnay.jpg?w=300" alt="Descendants of the Moroccan royal family's lions" data-width="1600" data-height="1028" loading="eager"></picture><button class="magnifying-glass btn btn-circle position-absolute shadow btn-white top-10 right-10" aria-label="Zoom in"><em class="material-icons link-blue" data-icon="zoom_in"></em></button></a></div><figcaption class="card-body"><div class="md-assembly-caption text-muted font-14 font-serif line-clamp"><span><a class="gtm-assembly-link md-assembly-title font-weight-bold d-inline font-sans-serif mr-5 media-overlay-link" href="https://cdn.britannica.com/87/257787-050-69848B14/Female-so-called-Barbary-Lion-with-cubs-Hanover-Zoo-Germnay.jpg" data-href="/media/1/1181310/321044">Descendants of the Moroccan royal family's lions</a><span>Several living individuals whose ancestors were kept in captivity by the Moroccan royal family during the late 19th and early 20th centuries are thought to be relatives of wild Barbary lions.</span><button class="js-more-btn d-none btn btn-unstyled font-12 bg-white js-content" aria-label="Toggle more/less fact data"><span class="link-blue">(more)</span></button></span></div></figcaption></figure></div></div><p class="topic-paragraph">The Barbary lion has been considered extinct in the wild since the 1920s. Because of their attacks on livestock, wild Barbary lions were largely extirpated in North Africa by hunters during the late 19th century; however, there is substantial evidence that wild lions survived well into the 20th century. Although the last confirmed sightings (and shootings) of a Barbary lion in the wild occurred in Morocco’s Atlas Mountains in 1942 and <a href="https://www.britannica.com/place/Algeria" class="md-crosslink autoxref " data-show-preview="true">Algeria</a> in 1943, geneticists and population modelers, on the basis of statistical estimates, noted in 2013 that other wild individuals may have survived as late as the 1960s.</p><div class="module-spacing"> </div><span class="marker MOD11 mod-inline"></span> <div class="feature-block callout"><div class="font-weight-bold">Taxonomy</div><ul class="list-none "><li><div><strong>Kingdom:</strong> <a href="https://www.britannica.com/animal/animal" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Animalia</a></div></li><li><div><strong>Class:</strong> <a href="https://www.britannica.com/animal/mammal" class="md-crosslink autoxref " data-show-preview="true">Mammalia</a></div></li><li><div><strong>Order:</strong> <a href="https://www.britannica.com/animal/carnivore-mammal" class="md-crosslink autoxref " data-show-preview="true">Carnivora</a></div></li><li><div><strong>Family:</strong> <a href="https://www.britannica.com/animal/feline" class="md-crosslink autoxref " data-show-preview="true">Felidae</a></div></li><li><div><strong>Genus:</strong> <em>Panthera</em></div></li></ul><p class="topic-paragraph">The <a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/International-Union-for-Conservation-of-Nature" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources</a> lists <em>Panthera leo</em> as a <strong>vulnerable species</strong>, and this status extends to both of its subspecies. Barbary lions, which are part of <em>P. leo leo</em>, are considered <strong>extinct in the wild</strong>.</p></div> <span class="marker PREMOD12 mod-inline"></span><div class="assemblies"><div class="w-100"><figure class="md-assembly m-0 mb-md-0 card card-borderless print-false" data-assembly-id="321045" data-asm-type="image"><div class="md-assembly-wrapper card-media " data-type="image"><a href="https://cdn.britannica.com/88/257788-050-0F1A2013/So-called-Barbary-Lion-Belfast-Zoo.jpg" class="gtm-assembly-link position-relative d-flex align-items-center justify-content-center media-overlay-link card-media" data-href="/media/1/1181310/321045"><picture><source media="(min-width: 680px)" srcset="https://cdn.britannica.com/88/257788-050-0F1A2013/So-called-Barbary-Lion-Belfast-Zoo.jpg?w=300"><img src="https://cdn.britannica.com/88/257788-050-0F1A2013/So-called-Barbary-Lion-Belfast-Zoo.jpg?w=300" alt="Descendants of the Moroccan royal family's lions" data-width="1600" data-height="970" loading="eager"></picture><button class="magnifying-glass btn btn-circle position-absolute shadow btn-white top-10 right-10" aria-label="Zoom in"><em class="material-icons link-blue" data-icon="zoom_in"></em></button></a></div><figcaption class="card-body"><div class="md-assembly-caption text-muted font-14 font-serif line-clamp"><span><a class="gtm-assembly-link md-assembly-title font-weight-bold d-inline font-sans-serif mr-5 media-overlay-link" href="https://cdn.britannica.com/88/257788-050-0F1A2013/So-called-Barbary-Lion-Belfast-Zoo.jpg" data-href="/media/1/1181310/321045">Descendants of the Moroccan royal family's lions</a><span>Genetic studies that attempt to link the surviving descendants of the Moroccan lions and Barbary lion stock remain inconclusive.</span><button class="js-more-btn d-none btn btn-unstyled font-12 bg-white js-content" aria-label="Toggle more/less fact data"><span class="link-blue">(more)</span></button></span></div></figcaption></figure></div></div><p class="topic-paragraph">Several individuals thought to be relatives of wild Barbary lions are still <a class="md-dictionary-link md-dictionary-tt-off mw" data-term="extant" href="https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/extant" data-type="MW">extant</a> in zoos around the world. These lions stem from a group of 21 captive lions thought to have descended from wild Barbary lions kept by the Moroccan royal family during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Moroccan Sultan <span id="ref1331240"></span><a href="https://www.britannica.com/biography/Muhammad-V-sultan-of-Morocco" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Muḥammad V</a> kept them on the palace grounds until he was deposed and exiled by the French in 1953. The lions were sent to zoos in <a href="https://www.britannica.com/place/Casablanca-Morocco" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Casablanca</a> and <a href="https://www.britannica.com/place/Meknes" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Meknès</a>, Morocco, and 18 of them were delivered back to the palace upon the sultan’s return two years later.</p><div class="one-good-fact-module"> </div><span class="marker MOD12 mod-inline"></span> <span class="marker PREMOD13 mod-inline"></span><p class="topic-paragraph">This population had grown to 39 adults and 49 cubs by 1973, and all were handed over to the <a href="https://www.britannica.com/place/Rabat" class="md-crosslink autoxref " data-show-preview="true">Rabat</a> <a class="md-dictionary-link md-dictionary-tt-off eb" data-term="Zoo" href="https://www.britannica.com/dictionary/Zoo" data-type="EB">Zoo</a> before several were sent to circuses and zoos in <a href="https://www.britannica.com/place/Europe" class="md-crosslink autoxref " data-show-preview="true">Europe</a>. The remaining Moroccan lions were transferred to zoos in <a href="https://www.britannica.com/place/France" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">France</a>, <a href="https://www.britannica.com/place/Germany" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Germany</a>, the <a href="https://www.britannica.com/place/Czech-Republic" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Czech Republic</a>, <a href="https://www.britannica.com/place/Cuba" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Cuba</a>, and the <a href="https://www.britannica.com/place/United-States" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">United States</a> by 1978; some 80 descendants of these original Moroccan lions remained in zoos by 2002. Several zoos—including the Belfast Zoo, in <a href="https://www.britannica.com/place/Northern-Ireland" class="md-crosslink autoxref " data-show-preview="true">Northern Ireland</a>, and the Neuwied Zoo, in Germany—advertise the descendants of Moroccan lions as true Barbary lions. However, genetic studies that have attempted to link the surviving descendants of the Moroccan lions and Barbary lion stock remain inconclusive, since researchers have <a class="md-dictionary-link md-dictionary-tt-off eb" data-term="yet" href="https://www.britannica.com/dictionary/yet" data-type="EB">yet</a> to rule out the notion that the lions kept by the Moroccan royal family were the products of breeding with sub-Saharan African lions.</p><span class="marker MOD13 mod-inline"></span> </section> <span class="md-signature"><a href="/editor/John-P-Rafferty/6747">John P. 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Barbary lion | Size, Habitat, Extinction, & Facts | Britannica