Gazelle : The Palestinian Biological Bulletin (ISSN 0178 – 6288) . Number 136, April 2016, pp. 1-35. | Page 11

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Lion. The final phase of the project will see the lions released into a National
Park in the Atlas Mountains of Morocco (Khalaf-von Jaffa, 2006).

Prophet Daniel in the Lions’ den. Painted by Peter Paul Rubens. ca. 1615. National
Gallery of Art in Washington. www.heiligenlexikon.de/BiographienD/Daniel.htm

The Arabian Lion by the early Arabic and Islamic Zoologists:
Abi „Othman Amr bin Bahar Al-Basri Al-Jahez (776-869), one of the Greatest
Arabic and Islamic Zoologists, described in his Reference Book “Kitab AlHaywan” (The Animal Book), the lions‟ General appearance and uniform colour
and the different body parts; and he wrote about the lions‟ behaviour. Al-Jahez
wrote about “Sayed Alsiba‟” (Master of the Predators) and how they came
around the villages in Iraq to attack and devour the wild boars, and the
domesticated sheep, donkeys, cows and dogs. The lions came also to the water
ponds and river banks to feed on crabs, toads, terrapins and turtles. The lion also
attacks and feeds on cheetahs; and they feed on carrions too. The Iraqi lion can
also attack and feed on domesticated Indian elephants, but wild elephants are
strong and can defend themselves. Lions also attacks and feed on camels. AlJahez writes that old lions attacks and devour humans, because the old ones are
weak and cannot hunt animals. He wrote also that the lion eats salt, because their
body needs it; and they can bear hunger and thirst for a long time. Al-Jahez
writes that the Indian Lions are weaker than Iraqi Lions; and he adds that the
Gazelle : The Palestinian Biological Bulletin – Number 136 – April 2016