I wonder what the future holds for these Lions at Port Lympne now. Have they totally halted breeding again and what will happen to the younger ones like this male and his brother and sister- sent on to other parks perhaps?
Quite a big operation for them and also to admit perhaps to themselves that the 'Barbary project' isn't a worthwhile scheme. But if they could bring themselves to do this those enclosures could hold a similar number of Asiatic Lions- which would be considerably more than the pairs and trios in most zoos.
Quite a big operation for them and also to admit perhaps to themselves that the 'Barbary project' isn't a worthwhile scheme. But if they could bring themselves to do this those enclosures could hold a similar number of Asiatic Lions- which would be considerably more than the pairs and trios in most zoos.
Big ask for them to admit they were wrong. However if they did and embraced a proper breeding programme I don't think anyone would criticize them and would probably just put their hands together.
Yes, they went into the Barbary programme in good faith, as did other zoos which have kept these lions over the years. There have been two or three 'waves' of keeping and breeding 'Barbaries' in zoos generally- each time its all positive for a while then the breeding plan peters out. This time its the science which seems to have proved there is no point in persevering, at least with the existing stock from Rabat Zoo. That's not Port Lympne's fault either so I wouldn't blame them, except where they continue the myth with their existing display boards and information talks as that isn't telling the truth about the situation.
The easy option of course is just for them to maintain the Lions they have, apart from the added problems of rehoming them. It depends how much they really want to do more genuine conservation work with Lions as to whether they make a changeover to Asian lions or not. I somehow doubt that they will but hope I am shown to be wrong.
I think it's possible that Barbary genes do exist in modern lion populations, just no (or very few) pure specimins any more. I'd be better if they got another pure subspecies of lion, or Asian ones.
There could indeed still be Barbary genes in some lions, or even some unidentified pure Barbary lions somewhere. It is just that the ones from Rabat zoo in Morocco are now known (sadly) not to contain Barbary genes, and that is where the Port Lympne and some other zoos' lions originated from.
Im pretty sure the lions at Port Lympne do carry a strain of the Barbary Gene, They show quite alot of the signs typical of the Barbary Lion, And if this slight gene can be kept i dont see why just 1 zoo should breed them.Sorry if ive affended anyone through this comment i didnt mean to!
Regards
