Timbavati White Lion
Panthera Leo Krugeri
The White Lion has been etched into folklore for centuries, although the first documented viewing of a White Lion was 1975 in theTimbavati Game Reserve in the Kruger National Park. The legend of the white lions of Timbavati was born.
White Lions are only found in the Timbavati region of the Kruger National Park in South Africa and are not albinos. They carry a special recessive gene identified as leucism making the skin and fur white. Their eyes appear blue, green or gold, depending on the light with dark paw pads, lips and noses. White Lions occur in the wild when both parents are a normal color brown and carry the white recessive gene. There are only 11 White Lions remaining in the wild and over 500 in captivity globally.
Timbavati is a 200 square mile area in the Northem Province of South Africa and is part of the Kruger National Park. It is unclear why the white pigmentation occurs uniquely amongst the Timbavati's lions. Recently it was identified that the characteristics of the lions in Timbavati are a unique subspecies, Panthera leo krugeri. Despite the areas protected national park status human interference has hindered the development of the wild population of the White Lions. Proper protection in the wild and ethical breeding programs in captivity, along with education programs, is the future to safeguarding this unique animal for generations to come.
Threatened
This is Michael, a beautiful male Timbavati White Lion who’s from South Africa. Michael arrived at Tiger World from a conservation center in Africa. Michael spent the customary time in quarantine but is now on display for the world to see in his state-of-the-art interactive habitat, Timbavati Falls.
White Lions are only native to an area in South Africa’s Kruger National Park. White Lions are not albino. They represent a unique condition called leucism; where a recessive gene causes a loss of pigmentation in the skin and fur, but not the lips, eyes, or paw pads.
Click on the following links to learn more about Tiger World's newest family member, Michael the White Lion.