JULY 8,
2019
Two
Barbary lion cubs have been born in a Czech zoo, a welcome addition to a small
surviving population of a rare lion subspecies that has been extinct in the
wild.
The pair,
one male and one female, were born on May 10 in the Dvur Kralove park. Under
the guidance of mother Khalila, they have taken their first steps in their
enclosure in recent days. They have not yet been named.
The
biggest lion subspecies,
which once roamed its native northern Africa, was 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 1960s.
Fewer
than 100 are estimated to live in captivity.
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