Rabat Zoo
Conservation
The zoo works to establish viable populations of endangered animals in the long term, allowing for the strengthening of the animal collection and, consequently, the reintroduction of certain groups into their original natural habitats. It reportedly houses over 1,800 animals representing nearly 180 species and works on more than 22 conservation programs for rare and endangered endemic species. Eight of these species are the subject of a reintroduction program to reintegrate them into their natural habitat, including five species extinct in the wild in Morocco.
In the first quarter of 2024, more than 70 animals of Moroccan and African endemic species were reportedly born at the zoo. In a statement, the zoo indicated that "these species are classified by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) as endangered, critically endangered as is the case for the addax, or endangered for the bald ibis, or vulnerable such as the Barbary sheep and Dorcas gazelles."
Lions
Given that the Barbary lion is extinct in the wilderness, importance has been given to finding possible Barbary lions or descendants of the Barbary lion in captivity. So far, tests indicate the lions of the zoo are not pure Barbary lions, but descendants of the original Barbary lion. This is partly as members of the Moroccan royal family had kept lions that were captured from the Atlas Mountains.
