• Joerg Junhold and Klaus Eulenberger, Leipzig Zoo
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    The King of the Jungle title is about to be split. According to the Mother Nature Network, a new species of lion has been discovered in Ethiopia, thanks to DNA evidence. 

  • Jean-Francois Paumier/Wikimedia
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    Many of the lions in Ethiopia are admired for their dark flowing manes, and until recently, this feature was thought to be a regional variation. Now research has shown that these luxurious locks are part of what sets these big cats apart as a new species. 

  • Joerg Junhold and Klaus Eulenberger, Leipzig Zoo
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    DNA was taken from these dark-haired lions at the Addis Ababa Zoo. When the sample was compared to DNA from Asian and African lions, researchers found that the zoo lions were genetically isolated from the others. 

  • Joerg Junhold and Klaus Eulenberger, Leipzig Zoo
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    Researchers tested 15 lions staying at the Addis Ababa Zoo. All of the subjects descended from the zoos founder lions, which were caught in Southern Ethiopia in 1948. Because of plummeting lion populations in the country, the big cats at the zoo could be all that is left of this recently discovered species. 

  • Joerg Junhold and Klaus Eulenberger, Leipzig Zoo
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    The amazing manes that set these lions apart start at the head and neck, and extend all the way down to their bellies. Because this hair is so voluminous, these Ethiopian lions appear bigger than the others. Truthfully, these cats have a more compact body than their counterparts. 

  • Jean-Francois Paumier/Wikimedia
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    Conservationists are pushing to get the Addis Ababa lions recognized as a vulnerable species, so regulations to protect the animals can be passed. The zoo is also looking into starting a conservation program. 

  • aheavens/flickr
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    Scientists warn that these animals cannot be identified by their manes alone, and more research needs to be done to understand where the species stands. Officials hope to start genetic research soon in order to see how many of these lions are left in the wild. Many are worried that these creatures have been targeted by poachers for their darker and fuller locks. 

  • Joerg Junhold and Klaus Eulenberger, Leipzig Zoo
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    Researchers are turning their focus to a group of similar-looking lions living in an elephant sanctuary, in hopes of finding a population still living in the wild. 

  • myeralan/flickr
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    Next: Crocodile Crashes Lion Dinner Party

    "A key question is which wild population did the zoo lions originate from and whether this wild population still exists; this would obviously make it a priority for conservation," said professor Michi Hofreiter of the Department of Biology at the University of York. "What is clear is that these lions did not originate in the zoo, but come from somewhere in the wild — but not from any of the populations for which comparative data is available."