Tanda Tula Blog

Lioness shows off her new white lion cub

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Very exciting news just in: This morning, guests of Tanda Tula Safari Camp witnessed an incredible and extremely rare sighting of a new White Lion cub in the Timbavati Private Nature Reserve.

The white lion cub seems to be part of a litter of only two cubs, and its sibling is a normal tawny coloured cub. The cub is most likely between 2 and 3 months old at present, and therefore remains very vulnerable.

At this age, cubs can easily be lost to predation by hyenas, or even accidentally killed by members of their own pride. It is the role of their mother to protect them from these dangers, and this mother certainly seems to be keeping a close eye on her two little cubs.

The cub has been born into the Ross Pride that operates inside the Klaserie and Timbavati Private Nature Reserves, on the western portion of the reserves. We will be watching very closely and will continue to give feedback on this incredible new addition to the lion population of the Timbavati.

This cub, with parents who are both tawny, has occurred completely naturally with no human interference. This now brings the number of completely naturally occurring white lions in the Timbavati to four.

These photos were kindly provided by the following guests of Tanda Tula Safari Camp: David Spencer, Karim Herdsman, Fergus McWilliams and Wayne Donaldson.

What is a white lion?

A white lion is a normal healthy lion, which displays the effects of a recessive gene known as the chinchilla or colour inhibitor.

The condition displayed is known as “leucism’ and is distinct from albinism.They were originally discovered in the Timbavati Private Nature Reserve, not far from Tanda Tula, in 1975 by Chris McBride, an avid wildlife enthusiast.

Since then, white lions have become synonymous with the Timbavati Private Nature Reserve, which is one of the few regions on the globe where these lions occur naturally.

White Lions, like all wildlife, are immensely valuable to our ecosystems.

It is only through conservation of our delicate ecology that we may preserve the environment that supports the continued beauty of the African wilderness.

Through education and preservation, we can ensure that future generations will have examples of nature’s marvels, such as the white lion, to behold.

Enjoy the wonderful photos of this new White Lion cub and its sibling!

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