The legend of the white Lion has been prevalent in African folklore since the dawn of man.
The ancient myth holds that once in every century these regal animals emerge from the African bush,
their majestic coats a clear representation of the good in all creatures."
Four very special Lion Cubs (three female and one male) were born at Papanack on October 17th 1998.
Unlike normal Tawny-coloured, Black spotted Lion Cubs, these were White,
which is unusual enough since they were born to a Tawny parents
Simba and Savannah with no known "white" gene history.
FIVE WEEKS OLD WHITE LION CUBS:
FAITH, HOPE, CHARITY AND MARETH WILLIAM II
Even more unusual, there were four Cubs in the litter, and rarer still, all of them were white. Never before has this occurred in Canada or the world. Current figures show only 25 other White Lions in the world today, so those really are unique. Many young lion females are poor mothers, and neglect or even kill their cubs. Savannah had her first litter in the spring of 1998. There were three cubs in the litter which did not survive (they were tawny colour). She only nursed them for one day, before abandoning it and we were not able to save them.
This time Savannah nursed her cubs for 11 days (this is above the average for second litter) before abandoning them. We removed them from the den and were able to save them because they were older and stronger. They were bottle feed with a Zoologic Formula. They are out of danger now and are doing great!
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FOUR WEEKS OLD WHITE LION CUB -MARETH WILLIAM II |
SIX WEEKS OLD WHITE LION CUBS - FAITH AND HOPE |
SIX WEEKS OLD WHITE LION CUB - CHARITY |
The Cubs are not pure white like Timbavati Lions for example. They are lacking 'tawny' colour gene, but they have 'black' colour gene. So there are sort of cappuccino - almond colour. Obviously they are carrying White Lions gene, and if they are breed to the White Lions there is a big chance that they will have a white homozygous offspring. What is very exciting that this will be only the fourth known line of White Lions in the World today.As you probably know the White Lions are extinct in the wild. Today there is 32 of them. Two more were born in Kruger Park, South Africa in December 1998.
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4/5 MONTHS OLD HOPE AT PLAY |
4/5 MONTHS OLD CHARITY |
4/5 MONTHS OLD CHARITY |
Two animals are said to belong to the same species if they can breed together to produce fully viable offspring. Offspring will contains mixture of genes from both parents. Although the different members of the same species all have similar genes one to another, they do not have the same genes. Thus all humans poses genes that determinate color of the iris and type of hair, some have blue eyes and some have curly hair. Similarly all lions carry gene that determinate colour of their coat, when most of them are tawny, some of them appear white. Those different varieties of the gene responsible for the same feature are called - alleles. Each animal contain two sets of genes. One inherited from their mother, another from their father. So it contains two alleles (variations) for each kind of gene. When it has inherited a different alleles for particular gene from each parent it is said to be heterozygous for that gene and when inherited the same alleles is known to be called homozygous. Within an individual genotype, there is a random mixture of homozygous and heterozygous genes.
Because there was only 25 White Lions in the world when our cubs were born, they became very valuable because they highly increased White Lions population gene pool. Specially that they are coming from different blood line than others. By increasing amount of different alleles in the gene pool the risk of inbreeding is reduced. Some alleles are deleterious and if they are inherited from both parents may cost serious illnesses or even all population may die out.
Lions live in large family groups called "prides." Each pride contains one or more mature males and a number of females with their cubs. The females, or lionesses, are the hunters while the males defend the group and their territory.
Where do they live?
African lions live in the grassy plains and savannas of sub-Saharan Africa. They have a broad habitat tolerance and can survive in very dry climates by obtaining the moisture they need by drinking the blood of their prey.
How big are they?
Lions are considered one of the "big cats," like tigers, leopards and jaguars. An adult male can grow to be three feet tall at the shoulders and weigh as much as 400 pounds. These cats have golden-brown coats which blend into the surroundings and help them get close to their prey without being seen. Lions have strong muscles in their chests and front legs enables them to knock and hold down large animals. Powerful muscles and strong tendons in the rear legs provide tremendous leaping abilities.
Are there many lions?
Like other African animals, lions are losing their habitat as human populations increase. There may be less than 21,000 African lions remaining in the wild.
How do lions catch their prey?
Lions often work together when they hunt. This cooperation increases their chances of getting food. Most of the hunting is done by a group of lionesses which divides into two teams. One team circles around to get ahead of the prey. When they're in place, the second group shows itself and scares the animals. The frightened victims stampede and are chased into the first group of lions. Most of the hunting is done at night, so lions have excellent hearing and eyesight. Their hearing is so good, they can hear prey that is more than a mile away. Lions' eyes are the biggest of any meat-eating animal. Like the eyes of other cats, they are specially designed for seeing at night.
What do they eat?
In the wild, African lions prey upon large herd animals such as wildebeests and zebras. If they can't find enough of their regular food, they will eat smaller animals like hares and tortoises. However, if prey is really scarce, lions will eat almost anything that they can find - including snakes, insects and fruit.
Interesting Facts
To help lions sneak up on prey, they have rubbery pads on the bottoms of their feet. Like sneakers, these pads help soften the sound of each step.When they can, lions get their food by taking it away from other animals. This is often easier than hunting. In some parts of Africa, much of the food that lions eat is taken from hyenas.Although female lions do most of the hunting, the males eat first.Lion cubs are born with spots that will begin to fade at about three months. Lions can turn their ears from side to side to catch sounds coming from almost any direction. When they're moving through tall grass, lions may not be able to see their prey - but they can always hear it.
A rare albino lion cub was presented to hundreds of eager visitors Friday at the Lujan zoo outside of Buenos Aires. One of two cubs born to parents of normal tawny color, the albino cub is all white, except for the black tips of its ears. Zoo Director Jorge Senino said albino lion cubs are extremely rare, occurring about once in every 1,000 births. The zoo may allow visiting children to help decide what to call the as-yet-unnamed cub.
