I think you will find many of the traits listed for Barbary Lions can be found to a lesser extent in many other lions too. During the 1970's there was another Barbary Lion programme started(Port Lympne didn't have them then) by some European zoos which concentrated on selectively breeding from the Lions with the best characteristics e.g. heavy mane, belly hair etc to further accentuate these in the next generation. But you still couldn't say these lions were 'true' Barbaries, just that they resembled them. This programme was eventually disbanded but no doubt some of those lions and their offspring are still scattered about in the zoos that were involved.
In the Port Lympne case, the original DNA testing of the Rabat Lions(and some from PL too) indicated that these are not descended from Barbary stock but instead from lions from subSaharan Africa. However, I believe some new tests are being done so the jury could still be out on all this.
This must be the most beautiful looking lion I have ever seen. (Hope I can get a good photo of him in a couple weeks). Interesting about the Morocco DNA tests - I was not aware of that.
Zoo lions have always had big manes, which is a side-effect of captivity and not strictly due to selective breeding. The famous hunting guide Frederick Selous in the 1800's commented that his clients were often disappointed at the puny mane size of their hunting trophies compared to the lions they had seen in zoos - and this was at a time when most zoo lions were wild caught.
Maybe you can find out what the current situation is with their Lions? I believe from other posts on the Forum that this male's father 'Suliman' may have been castrated, and the same with the other unrelated(or distantly) male 'Jabir' nearer the entrance to the Park. Or are they just vasectomised?
My feeling is it is a shame to do this-I would prefer to see them kept in their 'entirety' if possible. Do they propose to continue keeping the Lions?
