The Tehran Zoological Garden, locally called Eram Zoo, is set to add a male and a female Asiatic lion to its animals, ISNA reported. Speaking to the news agency, director of hunting and fishing office at the Department of Environment (DoE) Ali Teymuri said, “Eight months ago Eram zoo directors submitted their request to the DoE to bring over a lion couple from Germany, and the request was approved.” The lions will be sent to Iran once the European Association of Zoos and Aquaria (EAZA) confirms the zoo meets the European body’s minimum criteria. Iman Memarian, a veterinarian and the technical director of Eram Zoo confirmed the news, and stressed that the zoo is striving to meet all international requirements to house the lions. As a member of the European Endangered Species Program (EEP), Iran is entitled to submit requests to house and care for endangered species. Asiatic lions, also called Persian lions, were widespread in Iran, but in the 1870s were sighted only on the western slopes of the Zagros Mountains and in the forest regions south of Shiraz.
