Fantastic news.

wow thank you for that news Michael.

The Barbary Lion was previously considered to be a distinct sub species. DNA analysis of genuine old wild specimens has shown no significant difference from Asian and West African lions and they are now included in that sub-clade. The morphological differences in the size of the mane is considered to be a result of the colder climate in the Atlas mountains. Even so, it would be a fine thing for them to be reintroduced unless you happen to be a local goat or donkey. There doesn't seem to be much in the way of wild game left there. It's not going to be easy to get past the quite reasonable fears of the local people. Good luck anyway!

That would be wonderful to see.

I do see a lot of hurdles, but the did mention that in the article.

quote:

Originally posted by the Pom:
The Barbary Lion was previously considered to be a distinct sub species. DNA analysis of genuine old wild specimens has shown no significant difference from Asian and West African lions and they are now included in that sub-clade. The morphological differences in the size of the mane is considered to be a result of the colder climate in the Atlas mountains. Even so, it would be a fine thing for them to be reintroduced unless you happen to be a local goat or donkey. There doesn't seem to be much in the way of wild game left there. It's not going to be easy to get past the quite reasonable fears of the local people. Good luck anyway!

That’s interesting
I thought they were genetically distinct…also a good bit larger

quote:

Originally posted by the Pom:
The Barbary Lion was previously considered to be a distinct sub species. DNA analysis of genuine old wild specimens has shown no significant difference from Asian and West African lions and they are now included in that sub-clade. The morphological differences in the size of the mane is considered to be a result of the colder climate in the Atlas mountains. Even so, it would be a fine thing for them to be reintroduced unless you happen to be a local goat or donkey. There doesn't seem to be much in the way of wild game left there. It's not going to be easy to get past the quite reasonable fears of the local people. Good luck anyway!

Exactly as locals pretty much shot out most native wild game
It ain’t happening

What's widely considered to be the last photo.

French military pilot Marcelin Flandrin captured the final confirmed sighting of a wild Barbary lion during a flight over North Africa in 1925.



Marcelin Flandrin (1889–1957) was a French military photographer renowned for his pioneering work in aerial photography and his extensive documentation of Morocco. Born in Bône, Algeria, he settled in Morocco in 1901, before the establishment of the French protectorate, and completed his military service there as a volunteer in 1912. A professional photographer, Flandrin served in the Service Photographique des Armées, contributing reports during the Rif War. During World War I, he joined the French Air Force, where he excelled as an aerial observer, capturing significant battle scenes from the sky.After the war, Flandrin settled in Casablanca, where he chronicled the city's transformation from 1921 to 1930. His 1929 book, Casablanca de 1889 à nos jours, showcases this evolution. He was a pioneer in aerial photography in Morocco, notably publishing images of a flight from Casablanca to France in L'Illustration in 1921. In 1922, he contributed to the Morocco pavilion at the Exposition coloniale de Marseille, and in 1924, his photos appeared in Nordafrica alongside Rudolf Lehnert's work. He also documented Sultan Yusef's 1926 visit to France.
Flandrin is particularly famous for capturing the last known photograph of a wild Barbary lion in the Atlas Mountains in 1925, taken during a flight on the Casablanca-Dakar route. Beyond wildlife, he was a major publisher of postcards in Morocco and created staged, exoticized nude photographs of Moroccan women in the Bousbir district, influencing stereotypes of the "Arab African" prostitute. His work, preserved notably by the Banque Populaire pour l'Education et la Culture, remains a vital historical record of Moroccan society and its landscapes.

Fantastic photograph! What a regal animal.

quote:

Originally posted by Michael Robinson:
Fantastic photograph! What a regal animal.

Agreed.