Origin

Four lions, a pride, that occupy a enclosure at the Baghdad Zoo, in Iraq. This Pride of Baghdad consists of Safa the eldest of the four, wise and bitter. Zill, the oldest male lion of the group, the alpha male and its leader. Noor, a female lioness with her cub Ali in tow. The four lions ban together to survive a war zone that is Iraq. They come across many obstacles before meeting their untimely demise.  

Creation

The Pride of Baghdad are a Vertigo comic book team that appears in the graphic novel Pride of Baghdad released in 2006. The book was written by Brian K Vaughan and illustrated by Niko Henrichon. The story of these group of lions is based on real life occurrence that took place in 2003 during America's occupation in Iraq. Four lions were found having escaped their enclosures after a bombing damaged the infrastructure of the zoo. American troops were forced to shoot the lions dead in the streets of Baghdad after they attacked, lost, starving and confused.