The White Lions of Timbavati

Those of us who are nature/zoo/wildlife photographers always tend to have that one species that means more than the others, that may even have lead us to become photographers in the first place. For me, Lions were a childhood passion (only just exceeded by my love of Collies who also happen to have manes!) From the time I saw the movie Born Free and the story of Elsa, I thought they were the most beautiful animals on the planet. While Lions don’t have the exotic colours or stare of the Tiger or the magical quality of the elusive Snow Leopard, they have always had more of a personal link with human beings, and being the only big cats who live amongst and need their own species, they are in many ways easier to understand.

Lions have had an interesting and troubled relationship with human beings throughout history. Their status as the undisputed “King of the Beasts” has made them a target for the human ego, having long been hunted so that men could prove or increase their social status. They have been hunted, tamed and tormented for circuses, feared as man-eaters, used in Lion baiting blood sports - you name it and we’ve done it to them.

Yet on the other side of this, as a cultural icon Lions have enjoyed quite a positive and unique status. They have represented nobility, strength, royalty and bravery all over the world for thousands of years with carvings dating as far back as over 32,000 years. Depictions of the Lion as representing Christ can also be found throughout the literary world, the most famous being the wise and compassionate Aslan from CS Lewis’ The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe.
Of all the big cats, Lions capture our emotions and imagination like no others - and in modern times the Youtube phenomenon of Christian the Lion is a result of this long time fascination we have with the King of the cats.

It is a particular genetic mutation of the normal Lion - the White Lion, that has also been the subject of human fascination. Once thought to be a mystical legend, White Lions are indeed real, but are not ‘man made’ like the Liger and Tigon hybrids. They have occured naturally in the wild due to a rare recessive gene. Almost all sightings of the White Lions were at Timbavati Game Reserve in South Africa, the most notable pride being recorded by Chris McBride in his book The White Lions of Timbavati.

Considering the fuss we’ve made over normal lions, it comes as no surprise that the White Lions have had all manner of meanings and symbolism attributed to them. A book written by Linda Tucker is dedicated to the legend surrounding the Lions and the question of their sacredness. The Shamens (including the well known Credo Mutwa) that she spoke to believed they were sent by God as a representation of goodness and enlightenment and as a guide to humanity in crucial times. While the scientific amongst us will cringe at the idea that the White Lion is anything more than the result of a rare genetic mutation, it is interesting to consider how the White Lion’s rarity and beauty has been the center of many an imagination even before their very existence was confirmed.

As usual with human beings though, we have managed to simultaneously revere and destroy the White Lion. The species is at the center of ‘canned hunts’, a practice that involves breeding animals in captivity and releasing them in contained areas where they cannot escape so they can be killed by trophy seeking idiots with too much money. Almost all White Lions alive today were bred in captivity, the lucky ones and most, by contemporary Zoos. Having technically been extinct in the wild for years, it is only recently that conservation efforts have been successful and wild White Lions have been born in the Greater Timbavati region.
Sanbona Wildlife Reserve in South Africa has been running a project since 2003 with the long term intention of having a number of Wild Lions roaming completely free. I had a quick chat with Simon who works at the reserve and has been lucky enough to witness the wild White Lions in the flesh.

Tell us how you got involved with the project?

I have been in the hospitality industry for 20 years, the last 5 of those working on game reserves, A position became open at my current place and I jumped at the chance to work on this amazing property. The property is called Sanbona wildlife Reserve and is a 54000ha resrve that is roughly the same size as Singapore.

How and why did the project begin?

The project was started six years ago when our MD was given 2 tame white lions - Jabu and Queen. These 2 lions will never be realeased into the wild as they would not survive. They however have had a litter and it is these white lions that have been released. There are 2 males and 2 females in the wild and we released them with 2 tawny females. The tawny females have taught the white lions to hunt. They are now a self sustaining pride who hunt for themselves.
One white male and one white female has a radio collar so we are able to track their movements.

I feel there was a need for the project as all other breeding programs where made to breed these animals for circuses of even worse for hunters. As a conservation company our aim was to breed these animals do they could be freed into the wild.

So what’s next for these Lions?

The next stage of the program is to get the new integrated pride to breed and have there own litter. Going forward if this works we will look at relocating true wild white lions to some of our sister reserves in South Africa

Do you need any public help or support?

Surprise I not going to ask for money we are one of the largest Hospitality group in South Africa so all funding comes from head office

Hope this spreads some light on our white lions!

Thanks Simon!

For more info and images on White Lions.

Global White Lion Protection Trust

My White Lion Image Collection