As mentioned in my previous post, White Lions once again roam the Timbavati but this time they have arrived en mass. There are now currently 6 White Lion cubs that we know of in the Timbavati. This has never happened before and if the ancient Shangaan are to be believed all is well in the land. The White Lions have been seen as a good omen for many years and we hope this will be true this time around.

White Lions are not albino’s they are a recessive form of the normal Tawny Lions that roam throughout Africa, however this is the only place on the planet that these lions naturally occur. Yes there are now White Lions in the Western Cape, but this is unnatural re-introduction and not a naturally occurring animal.

The likelihood of White Lions is very slim as it takes two adults with the recessive gene’s to produce a White Cub, and in most circumstances the litters are mixed as in this litter. Four years ago, my tracker and I discovered a litter of two White Lions, alas these little precious cubs only lasted 2 weeks before a clan of hyena discovered their den and killed them. This is natures way and any lion cub white or tawny has a uphill struggle to make it to full maturity. Only 1 in 7 cubs make it to adulthood.

We hope that with this latest group of White Lions roaming free that we have the privilege of viewing them for many years to come.