Barbary or Atlas lions

[peter]

I was as surprised as you were about the remark on Atlas lions surviving until the late fifties or early sixties of the last century, Ngala. I thought the lions had all but disappeared just before the Second World War. If a few would have survived, the War in northern Africa (referring to Rommel and Monty) would have sealed their fate. However. The writers of the article discovered that some lions did survive the war. Most unfortunately, the second war on their territory, this time between Algeria and France, was the nail on their coffin. The reason was habitat destruction.

Although I, like you, still hope that some lions made it until today, chances are they did not. The desert is a very secretive place, but it doesn't quite offer the protection of extended forests, mountains or a combination of mountains and forests. Java tigers, Bali tigers and Caspian tigers also disappeared in that period. Bali tigers are definitely gone forever, but there still are rumours about Java and the Caspian region. Although it's very unlikely that tigers survived until today, it isn't completely impossible. On the other hand. Big felines need a lot of room as well as large prey animals. If some would have survived, traces would have been found. Humans, most unfortunately, are very good at extinctions.

Leopards often survive attempts to finish them. One reason is they are much smaller than lions and tigers. Another is they don't need large animals and forests to survive. Furthermore, they are not considered as a threat everywhere. People fear them, but leopards can adjust their behaviour. In regions where they are on their way out, they avoid humans and can remain undetected for years. In densely populated regions, like Mumbai, they co-exist with humans. They take small animals and dogs, but stay away from humans. Those ignoring the treaty are shot or captured, which will result in a wild, but domesticated, feline. More adaptable, they are. They're very good at it. Reply