South Lakes Wild Animal Park South Lakes Lions

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danchaz29

Member
Hi Folks

Just trying to get together info on the lions at south lakes. at feeding the keeper introduced them as Barbary lions? although i hadnt heard they were "barbary" before. are they related pride? were are they from? and a year ago there was a thrid female?

Any info appreciated :) :):)
 
Hi Danchaz29 welcome to Zoochat:D
There are 3 African Lions at South Lakes at the moment-Tasa and Chevelle the females and Shikar the male,They are apart of the breeding program so I should think the are a breeding pride.As far as I'm aware the third female Komala died.
Hope this helps:)
 
Hi and thanks :)

Oh thats a shame.:( do we know why she died? i saw shikar mating with a female about a year ago but the cubs never came. am assuming they arent barbary? and do we know what park/zoo they originated from.

Also does anyone know when kadi the sumatran tiger cub is gonna get moved? poor cub is never let out from her tiny enclosure and also just before closure i saw her and shikar having confrontation through the bars. poor tiger! haha
 
danchaz29 said:
Hi and thanks :)

Oh thats a shame.:( do we know why she died? i saw shikar mating with a female about a year ago but the cubs never came. am assuming they arent barbary? and do we know what park/zoo they originated from.

Also does anyone know when kadi the sumatran tiger cub is gonna get moved? poor cub is never let out from her tiny enclosure and also just before closure i saw her and shikar having confrontation through the bars. poor tiger! haha
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Unfortunatly I do not,I and some other Zoochatters don't believe in 'Barbary' Lions-Kadi is let out into the Lion paddock daily(which she rotates) between 10AM-12.30PM-Kadi will also have to leave unfortunatly as she is a genetically valuable Sumatran Tiger being the only offspring(so far)of Padang and Alisha-If you would like anymore futher information please view other threads or PM myself.
 
Yeah I went on Sunday and the male was trying to get at kadi then..can't be good for her being in there, the sooner she moves on the better

I doubt very much they are Barbary lions. The male came from west midlands safari park so is most likely a hybrid as most safari park lions are. The females came from France as it was covered by that Michaela strachan show on channel 5. I think they may have come from Beauval or zoo parc de felins. I doubt very much they will be allowed to breed with the males questionable lineage

P.S. I think the origins of the females may have been discussed in one of the other south lakes threads if you have the time to search through
 
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having read a few threads many generic safari park lions have a barbary look about them.

as for kadi yeah a new home is needed i agree.

really useful information thankyou verymuch.
 
As mentioned previously, the male is a generic zoo hybrid, the females are from France (unsure of their genetic background), they could breed them, it would do no harm, however offspring would have to stay at the park, or be dispersed to other safari parks. My thinking is that if the male has mated, and there has been no offspring born, either he is infetile, or he has been vesectamised to prevent adding more hybrids. I personally don't really see a need for them to breed their lions....
 
i agree. cubs would probably be just a tourist attraction and with so many generic hybrid lions around the U.K would seem bizarre to introduce more. why is it noone seems to breed pure lion subspecies other than asiatic and the seemingly mythical "barbary"?
 
danchaz29 said:
i agree. cubs would probably be just a tourist attraction and with so many generic hybrid lions around the U.K would seem bizarre to introduce more. why is it noone seems to breed pure lion subspecies other than asiatic and the seemingly mythical "barbary"?
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The only other pure species in the UK are Panthera leo krugeri,which in this country seem to be mostly the heavily inbred White form,and not the paler Tawny ones you see in a few places in Europe!
 
danchaz29 said:
i agree. cubs would probably be just a tourist attraction and with so many generic hybrid lions around the U.K would seem bizarre to introduce more. why is it noone seems to breed pure lion subspecies other than asiatic and the seemingly mythical "barbary"?
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There are two major problems:

- availability - there aren't many African lions of known origin in Europe, and the biggest populations are the potentially-impure bleyenberghi (Angolan) population and the White lions, which are all pure krugeri but which aren't always taken seriously as they are a bit gimmicky (I suspect a mixed population of tawny and white krugeri would be much popular with the major zoos, but the only ones that get imported are the white ones)

- taxonomic uncertainty - it's far from certain that are any valid lion subspecies beyond a simple split into Asian and African. If there are only two subspecies, then any African Lion that hasn't got any Asian blood is pure - including all the Barbaries, Angolans, White (South African) and the other few oddities that are about (Basel's Kalahari Lions, vernayi, and a single Somali Lion, somaliensis at Kerkrade) as well as all the 'zoo' African lions - so it's quite possible everywhere is breeding pure subspecies lions after all! Until there's more of a consensus on this I'd be surprised if there are any more large-scale efforts to split up the African forms
 
that raises and interesting point i found in a study. that generic zoo africans develop thick dark manes etc that are like a barbary due to the conditions they are in (cooler than the sahara) so these hybrids maybe just be developed to our strange climate perhaps? :confused:
 
Kadi (Sumatran Tiger) will be leaving in the Autumn. There is already a home lined up for her
 
Shikar took an instant dislike to me the first time he met me.
He urinated on me through the bars of the indoor enclosure.

On my return I gave him a bit of space lest I get another soaking, but he stood up and started roaring. He didn't stop until I left, the mrs remained in the lion house and he was happy with that!

We almost missed Kadi on our last visit, she was out in the enclosure but we didn't know assuming she was off show. Later in the day we saw the lions were out and I spotted the box in the indoor pen, walked over and she immediately came towards us calling quietly.

I'm glad to hear she'll be moving on to a new home soon.
 
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