Indolencio Aguilar
Active Member
Well, if it was a strict methodological approach, EAZA would have to admit that (almost?) all lions in zoo are hybrids. In other species with a wider genetic background animals would have been sorted out if they only fulfill 90% of the criteria.
I sometimes wonder how quickly new taxonomies such as for lions or orangutans (Tapanuli) are accepted. Not saying they are wrong, I absolutely cannot evaluate this. On the other hand the new taxonomy for giraffes had a much wider genetic and scientific base and it took suprisingly long until this was accepted.
In the case of P.leo.leo Is also true that the african population of this subspecies is near extincted in nature. There are less than 250 wild lions that can be ascribed in the african geographical range of this subspecies. The situation is dire so 90% is a good base in a pragmatic point of view.
In regard of P.leo.melanochita, well, in that case I can see some skeptisism in the act of unify all population and ecotypes of lions that live under the Congo basin in a single subspecies