He arrives as a breeding male to join the park's herd of four females.
Lubango, is a young lion 3 years old of the Angolan lion subspecies (Panthera leo bleyenberghi) that has been transferred to join the pack of four females formed by Luana, Sortuda, Tata and Shanga, the latter born at BIOPARC Valencia. He arrived last Thursday from the Lisbon Zoo in a road transport, accompanied by two keepers to collaborate with the park's technical team. The movement has been carried out completely normally and Lubango is in perfect condition.
Now at BIOPARC it will begin its acclimatization process not only to the place and its new caregivers, but also to its new companions. The first step is visual contact with the females for a period of two weeks, later she will have contact with one of the lionesses in the group and, little by little, with the rest until she can do so with the entire group. The duration of this process is variable since it depends on the behavior of each individual, but it is estimated that it can last up to two months.
Lions have disappeared from 94 percent of their historic range and their dramatic decline is a sign of the degradation of the ecosystems they inhabit.
The young Lubango draws attention for his serene beauty and the abundant mane that covers his head and neck although, due to his still young age, it is expected that it will increase noticeably over time. The lion is the only big cat in which the male has a mane and this allows him to appear larger and is a protective barrier in his fights with enemies. This emblematic species has disappeared from 94 percent of its historical range and its presence has been reduced to just 1,7 million square kilometers. It is one of the last “indicator species” of the health of African landscapes. and their dramatic decline is a sign of the degradation of the ecosystems they inhabit.
The IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature) classifies this species as vulnerable to extinction. Well, unfortunately, lion populations are in decline, due to habitat destruction and poaching, and it is estimated that there are about 25.000 left in the wild. The NGO Wildlife Conservation Network (WCN) indicates that the lion population has plummeted by half since the premiere of The Lion King in 1994. In this situation, having the possibility of contemplating its beauty is a step to get involved, both in its preservation and in that of the ecosystems. And Lubango becomes a symbol of this representative species to awaken our empathy and remind us of the need to change our attitude towards protecting the rich biodiversity of our planet.
