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AuthorBlack, Simon A.
AuthorFellous, Amina
AuthorYamaguchi, Nobuyuki
AuthorRoberts, David L.
Available date2016-03-31T14:00:59Z
Publication Date2013-04
Publication NamePLoS ONE
ResourceScopus
CitationBlack SA, Fellous A, Yamaguchi N, Roberts DL (2013) Examining the Extinction of the Barbary Lion and Its Implications for Felid Conservation. PLoS ONE 8(4): e60174.
ISSN1932-6203
URIhttp://dx.doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0060174
URIhttp://hdl.handle.net/10576/4305
AbstractEstimations of species extinction dates are rarely definitive, yet declarations of extinction or extirpation are important as they define when conservation efforts may cease. Erroneous declarations of extinctions not only destabilize conservation efforts but also corrode local community support. Mismatches in perceptions by the scientific and local communities risk undermining sensitive, but important partnerships. We examine observations relating to the decline and extinction of Barbary lions in North Africa. Whilst the extinction predates the era of the scientific conservation movement, the decline is relatively well documented in historical records. Recently unearthed accounts suggest Barbary lions survived later than previously assumed. We use probabilistic methods to estimate a more recent extinction date for the subspecies. The evidence presented for a much later persistence of lions in North Africa, including generations when sightings were nil, suggests caution when considering felid populations as extinct in the wild. The case raises the possibility that captive animals descended from the Moroccan royal collection are closer contemporaries to wild Barbary lions. Furthermore, our results highlight the vulnerability of very small lion populations and the significance of continued conservation of remnant lion populations in Central and West Africa.
Languageen
PublisherPublic Library of Science
SubjectLions
Africa
Species extinction
Algeria
Tunisia
Morocco
Conservation Science
Mountains
TitleExamining the Extinction of the Barbary Lion and Its Implications for Felid Conservation
TypeArticle
Issue Number4
Volume Number8
dc.accessType Open Access


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