How Haile Selassie's unique lions got their mane

Joanna Carver, reporter

(Image: Joerg Junhold and Klaus Eulenberger, Leipzig Zoo)

You'd expect the lions of the Lion of Judah to be pretty special. Just like their late master, Ethiopian emperor Haile Selassie, these top cats have a unique lineage. And like Selassie's Rastafarian followers, they have an distinctive long, dark mane.

The lions were part of the personal collection of Selassie, the last emperor of Ethiopia, who died in 1975. Seven lions were captured in 1948, possibly in south-western Ethiopia, and taken to the new zoo in the capital, Addis Ababa. Now their descendants number 20.

Susann Bruche of Imperial College London and her colleagues say these are the last living lions to have their distinctive mane, which covers the head, neck, chest and belly. Their smaller, skinnier bodies also mark them out from other lions, and their DNA suggests they are a genetically distinct population.

The team are now concerned with conservation. Lion populations are declining in Ethiopia, and the Addis Ababa lions are known to exist in only two other regions, one of them being an elephant sanctuary. They're at risk from hunters, especially because of their unique manes.

"A great amount of genetic diversity in lions has most likely already been lost, largely due to human influences," said Bruche. "Every effort should be made to preserve as much of the lion's genetic heritage as possible."

Journal reference: European Journal of Wildlife Research, DOI: 10.1007/s10344-012-0668-5

Source: http://feeds.newscientist.com/c/749/f/10897/s/245dded6/l/0L0Snewscientist0N0Cblogs0Cshortsharpscience0C20A120C10A0Chaile0Eselassie0Elion0Bhtml0Dcmpid0FRSS0QNSNS0Q20A120EGLOBAL0Qonline0Enews/story01.htm

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