The Barbary Lion, Atlas lion or Nubian lion (Panthera leo leo) is a subspecies of lion that has become extinct in the wild. There are around 40 in captivity in Europe, with fewer than a hundred in zoos around the world.The Barbary lion formerly ranged in North Africa from Morocco to Egypt. The last known Barbary lion in the wild was shot in the Atlas Mountains in 1922. The Barbary lion was 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.The Barbary lion is often considered to be the heaviest of the lion subspecies; the calculated weight for the males is 353-550 lb (160 to 250 kg) and females 220-375 lb (100 to 170 kg). Some experts, however, have expressed the belief that such weights are greatly exaggerated, and that the Barbary lion was similar in size to the lions in East Africa.The two other primary predators of northern Africa, the Atlas bear and Barbary leopard, are now extinct, or close to extinction.
