White Lions

White Lions - Page 1&2: The New Discovery | 3: Conservation Status | 4: White Lion Breeding |
5: A Description Of The White Lion

Phumba -- another white lion:

In the following August, more cubs were sighted amongst another subgroup of the pride and with them was a white female. This cub was named Phuma ('to stand out' or 'to be out of the ordinary').

The mortality rate among lion cubs is very high and there were ten cubs, so it seemed Phumba's hopes of survival were quite slim. She later vanished, presumed dead.

Into captivity:

Phuma's death, and the other extreme risks white lions would face in the wild, encouraged the capture of Temba, Tombi, and Vela. Though not white, Vela was essential in having the genetic code to produce more white offspring.

The cubs were transported to the National Zoo in Pretoria, South Africa where:

    • Temba became mother to several cubs. She died in 1996.
    • Tombi died before being successfully bred.
    • Vela was sold and went to an unknown destination.

    Should the cubs have been removed from the wild? Over the years this has been the source of endless debate.

    The genetic combination required to bring about the white colouring is now considered to have been eliminated in the wild population.

White lions were never seen anywhere other than Timbavati Game Reserve and the white gene pool was almost definitely limited to this area.

If the cubs had not been removed they would most certainly have died; for some people that provides the necessary justification for taking the action. Other people see it as human interference in an area that should have been left to natural selection.

Chris McBride has authored several books on his experiences with the white lions of Timbavati and these are a recommended read. All are now out of print, but secondhand copies are sometimes available through Amazon.com and the books are still found in libraries. Search Query: Chris McBride.


White Lions - Page 1&2: The New Discovery | 3: Conservation Status | 4: White Lion Breeding |
5: A Description Of The White Lion

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Photography With Thanks To Denise McQuillen
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