Africa still has lions, but the Berber lions are extinct.
Also called the Atlas lion, the Barbary lion is a now-extinct species native to North Africa. This lion was shorter but more muscular than the other species of lions still living today. It was also distinguished by the bushy dark mane that extended further down its back and under its belly than modern lions. The last known Barbary lion was seen in 1921. Its scientific name is Panthera leo leo.
Like the lionesses of today, the Barbary lionesses did not have a mane.
The Barbary lion is considered to be one of the largest lion subspecies that ever lived, although it was nearly a foot shorter, at 3 feet (0.9 m), than most lion species. However, his extremely well-developed muscles and overall length made up for what he lacked in height. Berber lions averaged around 3.35m in length and males weighed around 249.5kg. Like other lion species, females were smaller, weighing only about 350 pounds (158.8 kg).
The Barbary lion lived in the arid mountainous regions of North Africa known as the Atlas Mountains.
Size was not the only distinguishing feature of the Barbary lion. The males’ manes, though golden around the face, darkened as they moved away from the faces. The mane also extended to or past the shoulders along the back and completely covered the lions belly. Also, the tail tufts were thicker and more pronounced. Even the females had thicker and longer fur in the mane area, although, like all known lionesses, they had no mane.
The Barbary lion lived in the arid mountainous regions of North Africa known as the Atlas Mountains. Unlike other species of African lions, they were solitary cats that spent most of their lives alone or with only one mate. Food was not abundant in his area. They ate large animals such as gazelles, deer, sheep, and wild boar.
The cause of the extinction of the Barbary lion began with Ancient Rome. The Barbary lions were the main lions captured by the Romans for use in the Colosseum games and slaughtered on a whim by order of the emperor. The wild population might have recovered had it not been for colonization by French and Arab settlers. Many lions were shot, considered threats by the settlers, and the lions’ territories were reduced. Their already limited food source became scarce and the lions simply couldn’t survive.
In the late 20th and early 21st centuries, studies have been carried out in zoos around the world in the hope of finding pure specimens of the Barbary lion to reintroduce this species to the wild. There have been some promising prospects, and using genetics, groups of lions linked to the zoo have been positively determined to be Barbary descendants. However, the possibility of finding a live, pure-blooded Barbary lion remains unclear.