It may surprise many to know that lions, generally regarded as African animals, roamed Europe until quite recently in historical terms.

Lions symbolised power and wealth to the ancient Greeks and often featured in both art and mythological stories, such as the tale of Heracles and the Nemean lion. When the Persian King Xerxes advanced through Macedonia in 480 BC, he reported encountering several lions.

They became extinct in western Europe around 1 AD,  however, they continued to live wild in northern Greece until around 100 AD.

It is likely that with the growth of the Roman Empire, lions were hunted and trapped for use in the arena, finally driving them to extinction in most of Europe.

However, in Transcaucasia, an area covering the southern Caucasus Mountains, on the border of Eastern Europe and Western Asia, lions were present until as late as the 10th century AD.