Bones of Atlas lions on display at Rabat Zoological Park

Morocco’s tourism and culture ministry have displayed the bones of Atlas lion at one of the country’s major attraction, the Rabat zoological park.

The bones were recoverd from Bismoune cave and later preserved for future demonstration on the evolution of fauna and the climate.

"For us, these finds, these studies, demonstrate once again the evolution of the fauna and the evolution of the climate within the kingdom, which allows us to deepen these studies in order to better understand our past. A past that is important for any future strategy in the field of archaeology and geology," said Mehdi Bensaïd, Moroccan Minister of Culture.

The Atlas lions are well known breed of big cats that mainly live in the mountains or desert habitats different from the ones found in predominantly in the savannah vegetation.

The Moroccan zoo sets a benchmark for breeding and has 37 Atlas lions in total, the largest population in the world. Although these specimens are highly demanded, the Rabat zoo is controlling reproduction.