/24-7PressRelease/ - WYNNEWOOD, OK, March 29, 2008 -- G.W. Exotic Animal Park announces today the addition of a special new member. On March 9, 2008 at around 8:00AM, a single Barbary Lion cub arrived cold and shivering. Due to the chilly early spring temperatures, park employees had been on a strict 24 hour watch in anticipation of the precious cub to insure its survival. The healthy male lion is now a little over 2 weeks old, healthy and growing stronger every day.
The Barbary Lion, often referred to as the Atlas lion or Nubian lion (Panthera leo leo) is a subspecies of lion now
extinct in the wild. There are around forty in captivity in Europe, with less than a hundred in zoos around the world.
Nine of which reside at the animal park in Wynnewood. The Barbary lion's former range was in North Africa from
Morocco to Egypt. It is the Barbary lion that was romanticized by the early Roman Empire gladiator tales and Chris-
tian scriptures.
The last known Barbary lion in the wild was shot in the Atlas Mountains in 1922. These lions were believed to be
extinct in captivity as well. However, possible Barbary lion individuals or descendants have been located in zoos and
circus populations within the last three decades. G.W. Exotic Animal Park is waiting on mitochondrial DNA analysis
to confirm the cub and parents are of the Barbary variety though the typical distinct physical characteristics of the
Barbary lion are present in both parents. Such characteristics are: grayish pelage; longer fur creating a shaggy look;
females and young males possessing long hairs around neck/throat, back of front legs and along belly; males pos-
sessing a huge mane covering not only head, neck and shoulders, but also extending behind shoulders and cover-
ing belly; color of the mane varying amongst the parts of the body and becoming darker towards the posterior parts;
well-developed tail tuft; higher occiput (back of head), with a more pointed crown, creating a straight line between
the tip of the nose and the back of the head; rounded cheek and proportionally narrow muzzle, and narrow postorbit-
al constriction of the skull.
G.W. Exotic Animal Park's Beth Corley, a senior USDA licensed animal care specialist in charge of the cub com-
ments: "He definitely has a royal lion mentality," referring to the cub's determined and independent spirit. "He is
already wanting everything on his own terms from his feeding times to his exercise. All of these are good signs of a
healthy male Barbary," she adds.
"Considering there are only around a hundred of this type of lion left in the entire world, having a strong healthy cub
born here is a really big deal for the park . . . the species . . . and the entire world really." says the park's president
and CEO, Joe Schreibvogel. "For so many endangered species, the only way to keep them from being completely
wiped out is through the diligence and efforts of licensed, accredited zoological parks, refuge centers and zoos with
a commitment to species preservation." This is definitely a proud moment for our park, the great state of Oklahoma
and is exactly why we do what we do," beams Schreibvogel.
The new lion cub will be viewable by the public as early as this weekend (March 28, 2008); however media person-
nel wishing to cover this story will be granted prior access if arrangements are made in advance.
G.W. Exotic Park is looking for help with the mitochondrial testing required to verify the lion's official Barbary status.
Individuals or companies interested in sponsoring the lion and/or the testing should call the park at 405-665-5197
About G.W. Exotic Animal Foundation
G.W. Exotic Animal Foundation is a 501 (c) 3 not-for-profit organization founded by the Schreibvogel family. Its purpose is to rescue, rehabilitate and provide safe-haven (refuge) to unwanted and endangered exotic animals. The 16 acre facility in Oklahoma is the nations largest big cat rescue center.
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