The White Lions of the Timbavati

Posted on 11 August 2010

Facebook discussion: 23 July 2010

Chad Cocking – “˜Getaway Magazine’: “What I will be doing next weekend!” off to work at Motswari in the Timbavati for the weekend where this pride with their two white cubs will hopefully be gracing us with their presence 🙂
Mariam Ismail: do you perhaps know if they allow day visitors at Motswari?
Chad Cocking: Mariam, sadly not, Motswari is part of the Timbavati which is a private reserve and you need to visit one of the lodges if you want to visit the reserve.
Charmaine Kinsey-Ahlers: Note to self: ‘must visit Timbavati!’. Timbavati seems to be THE place! GETAWAY ROCKS! 🙂
Elaine Kinsey Rodrigues: Checked with a friend of mine who was there, she says Timbavati is the place.

We’ve recently had a few discussions on facebook on the subject of White Lions. Having worked in the Timbavati PNR and the surrounding area for many years, I have had the privilege of meeting many people who have a wealth of knowledge on the white lions of the Timbavati region. I have come to realise that for some people these animals are considered sacred and for others, a scientific fascination or purely an interest in a unique animal that deserves fair and honest representation. Having viewed these white lions in their natural environment myself, this is what I have discovered.

The new pride in the Timbavati

The white lions, famous for their unique pigmentation, which is known as leucism (not albinism), have attracted a lot of attention from the public and the media for many years. They are endemic to the Timbavati region in the greater Kruger National Park, but are now found in breeding and hunting facilities, zoos and several game reserves all over the world.

It was thought for a period of time that there weren’t any left in the wild, however there are still truly wild white lions to be found in the Timbavati Private Nature Reserve today.

Background:

Several prides in the Timbavati region carry the recessive gene that can cause the birth of white lion cubs.

In the last four years at least 11 white lion cubs were seen in the Timbavati PNR. Unfortunately the majority of these cubs haven’t survived, but three white lion cubs, born to two different prides, have managed to survive up to over a year now.

It is generally accepted that white lions, due to their lack of camouflage, struggle to survive. However, very little is known about white lions in the wild. In the past several white lion cubs made it to adulthood successfully and lived a “˜normal life’ like any other lion.
We must also take into consideration that the mortality rate amongst lion cubs is extremely high, so any lion cub struggles for survival, whether they are tawny or white.

It is believed that the white lion has been extinct in the wild, but the lion prides in the Timbavati have proven that the recessive gene is still widely carried and that at any moment in time new white lion cubs can be born.

There are several hundreds of white lions found in captivity, yet it’s very exciting that there are true white lions surviving in the wild.

Last year, two lionesses from a pride in the Timbavati each had a litter of cubs. The one litter consisted of two tawny males and the other litter consisted of four slightly younger cubs, two of which were white.

The tawny siblings of the white cubs disappeared soon after birth, and since then the pride has been left with four cubs, the two white female cubs and the two slightly older tawny male cubs.

The mother and aunt of these two white lion cubs are fiercely protective and it is likely that because of that, they have managed to survive. The white cubs are about 15 months old now and they’re doing exceptionally well.

The third white lion cub belongs to another pride in the southern part of the Timbavati. This cub is a few months younger than the other two white cubs.

White lion sightings in the Timbavati PNR 1975 – 2010:

1975: Two white cubs were born (male and female) in the Timbavati.

1976: One white female cub was born into the same pride as the one in 1975.

1985: An adult white female named Whitey, led a pride in the Timbavati and had many litters, all of which were tawny cubs.

1991: A female cub lived in the Timbavati until she was nine months old (Whitey was her grandmother).

1992: A young white male was reportedly seen for many years.

2006: Two white lions were born on Ingwelala but only seen once.

2006: Another two white lions were born further East on Tanda Tula but were only seen once.

2008: Four white lion cubs were born into the same pride but some disappeared and one was eaten by a male lion at six months old.

2009: Two white lion cubs were born in the beginning of May and are still being seen in northern Timbavati.

2009: One white lion cub was born into the Giraffe farm pride in July which is seen occasionally.

The Timbavati does not allow day visitors but there are many private lodges in the area. It is a privilege to see these animals and because they are not in an enclosed environment, one must remember that seeing them is never a guarantee.

Safari Lodges in the Timbavati:
Tanda Tula Safari Lodge
Kings Camp
Motswari Safari Lodge
Umlani Bush Camp
Simbavati River Lodge






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