Seeing The Lighter Side

Observing white lions in their natural habitat is still possible near Hoedspruit, but these rare creatures require ongoing support from conservationists

- Keri Harvey

White lions are unique to the Greater Kruger National Park and are a rare colour variant of tawny lions. Just 13 white lions remain in the wild, and they have great cultural significance to the local Tsonga and Sepedi people.

White lions are not albinos, but simply the blonde haired, blue-eyed version of tawny lions. They carry a double recessive gene that gives them their unique white colouring. Interestingly, these white lions are only naturally found in Central Kruger Park and the Timbavati, Klaserie and Umbabat private reserves.

White lions were ‘discovered’ by Europeans in the 1970s, which has ultimately led to them being on the brink of extinction. Though white lions are also classified as Panthera leo, they were removed from the wild to captive breeding and hunting facilities because they are considered unusual and rare. Lion trophy hunting still happens in white lion natural habitat areas, which puts their survival at risk, and the nature of trophy hunting often means that the dominant or pride male is hunted. His cubs are then killed by rival males wanting to take over the pride – so more than one lion is lost in a trophy hunt. With no protection by law, white lions are all but extinct in their wild, endemic habitat. And this, when they are regarded as sacred by indigenous elders and their territories were well protected for centuries before Kruger was proclaimed a national park.

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