The legend of the African White Lion
| March 26, 2021 | The white lion, legend or reality? I assure you, this is not a legend but a reality, the white lion exists, it is part of the felines. This lion is a form of genetic mutation of the Transvaal lion ( Panthera leo kruger) .
An endangered species
Threat extinction for decades, life protection associations wild animal struggle to be considered as an endangered animal. disappearance.
The white lion: a DNA mutation
Lion white fascinates the whole world, it is not a subspecies of the lion from Africa or an albino, but a feline that has in its DNA a allele responsible for the so-called leucistism mutation which alters pigmentation skin.
It’s here pigmentation that distinguishes the white lion from the albino lion. Pigment-free, the albino is distinguished from the white lion which has darker areas in the nose, back of ears and eye contours.
In the wild, there are believed to be only about 20 left, but there are around 300 in captivity. A pair of white lions can have white lion cubs, it can happen that white and other tawny lions are born in the same litter.
The white lion of Timbavati!
Occasionally one can meet the white lion in the wild in the southern Kruger National Park and in the reserve of Timbavati located west of Kruger Park from which it is no longer separated.
In 1938, in the region of Timbavati , for the first time white lions were discovered by Europeans but it was not until 1975 that the existence of this mysterious feline was confirmed.
The rumors of the existence of white lions have existed in oral tradition African for centuries. Local communities, Sepedi and Tsonga, considered them “the most sacred animals of the continent African ”.
After being hunted to extinction, white lions were reintroduced in 2004. With the ban on trophy hunting in the Timbavati region and surrounding nature reserves, in 2006 the first white lion cubs were born and in 2014 Kruger Park saw its first birth.
The local communities, the Sepedi and the Tsonga, considered them “the most sacred animals of the African continent”.
For the inhabitants of the region, these felines are sacred, they are considered the children of the Sun God and the reincarnations of the great chiefs. For a long time it was believed in a superstition until a first testimony was found in 1928, followed by other discoveries in 1938.
Mia and the White Lion: the movie to watch
“Mia and the white lion ” a very beautiful film, tells the story of a 10-year-old girl who adopts a lion cub, Charlie. Growing up by his side, she discovers one day that her feline friend risks being sold to become a hunting trophy. Refusing such injustice, she will try to cross with him the savannah so that he is collected in a reserve where he can live far from men and protected from poaching.
The bet of the film directed by Gilles De Maistre: to shoot together for three years a child with a real lion, without special effects or special effects and in all security.
The man who whispers in the ears of lions
This bet impossible, came to fruition thanks to the experience and support of Kevin Richardson, “the man who whispers in the ears of lions,” the exceptional zoologist and animal behaviorist.
The movie message: animals savages are not made to live in cages and even less to be there cowardly slaughtered! Requisition against the hunt, “Mia and the lion white ”helps to make us sensitive to the animal cause by denouncing the practice of hunting in enclosures fought by Kevin richardson and African lion advocates.
Did you know him?
Kevin Richardson, South African zoologist has conducted extensive research on savannah animals and currently heads the “ Kingdom of the White Lion »Located about twenty km from Johannesburg.
The White Tiger also exists …
The Tiger royal white from the felidae family has a genetic mutation conferring a white dress striped with black. It is also in the process of disappearance due to deforestation and poaching for their fur.
Meet the white lions in South Africa
Would you like to discover these beautiful white lions in their natural habitat? South African Travellers , a local French-speaking agency based in Cape Town specializing in tailor-made trips to Southern Africa, will be happy to organize the safari of your dreams, don’t hesitate any longer, contact us!
So don’t hesitate any longer, contact us, our rangers will help you organize a dream safari in the beautiful and unforgettable Kruger National Park and who knows, you will have the chance to meet the lion king, the white lion!
See you soon,
Irina.
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