The Barbary Lion Panthera leo leo is a subspecies of lion. It is extinct in the wild and was believed to be extinct in captivity until stray individuals were located in circus populations within the last three decades. It is the largest of the lion subspecies with males weighing between 500-600 lb (230 to 270 kg) and females 300-350 lb (140 to 160 kg). The Barbary Lion, also called the Atlas or Nubian lion, formerly ranged in the Atlas Mountains of north Africa and in territory from Morocco to Egypt. The last known Barbary Lion in the wild was shot in the Atlas Mountains in 1922.

Unlike most African lions, the Barbary Lion was a mountain predator, preferring woodlands. The two other primary Atlas Mountain predators, the Barbary leopard and Atlas bear, are also now extinct, with no known individuals in captivity or in the wild. Barbary Lions are most distinctly characterized by a thick black mane on the male that reaches along the stomach to the loins.

"Scar," the villain of Disney's The Lion King, was based on a Barbary Lion.

Also see Cape Lion.

External links

• Preservation Station - Barbary Lions, the Barbary Lion preservation site.