3. They Were Prized Since Ancient Times The Barbary lion has been famed since antiquity. This lion was used by the Ancient Romans for their Colosseum games, and zoos have sought after these felines.

Barbary lions were known as “royal” lions since the royal families of Ethiopia and Morocco kept them; they might even have been the same lions that battled gladiators in ancient Rome.

Due to their strength and size, Barbary lions were used by ancient Romans to fight gladiators in the Coliseum and as agents of execution for Christians and criminals. Leo is one of the bigger ...

People were intrigued, and so was I, so I dug into the back-story of how the lion ended up there. The photo, taken in 2005, depicts a then-2-year-old baby Barbary lion named Samson. Barbary lions ...