Barbary Lion The Barbary lion, also known as the Atlas lion, was a subspecies of lion native to Northern regions of Africa. Weighing between 440 to 600 lbs, the Barbary lion was considered to be the heaviest among the lion subspecies. Excessive hunting led to the depletion of Barbary lion population in the wild. Loss of habitat due to the expansion of agricultural lands was also a prominent cause of Barbary lion extinction. Initially declared extinct, the animal was later given the special status - 'extinct in the wild' (EW) by the IUCN as a few individuals were found to be alive in captivity in zoos and circus.
