An animal that is known for its bravery, strong amongst other animals, and courageous; Tau in Northern SeSotho language, meaning Lion. With the lion falling under the African popularly known Big 5; there are some amongst others that don’t come out ‘as the usual’. These are The White Lions. Culturally a white lion has always been considered to be worthy beyond the other lions, because of the pigmentation and it has always been mistaken to be an albino lion. The white lion is the rare color mutation of a lion.
It is said that it has always been a part of the African folklore that had been passed through generations from the prehistoric times, the legend further tells the tale that the White Lions were the children of the Sun God and they had been sent to planet earth as a gift. During the reign of Queen Numbi more than 400 years ago, the first appearances of the White lions was then; particularly in the region of Timbavati.
For many years the lions in the Timbavati area in Mpumalanga South Africa have always been thought to be naturally from that specific region.
The White Lion’s color is particularly caused by the recessive trait that is aligned with a less-severe mutation which is within the same genes that cause albinism. These lions had to be reintroduced to their natural habitats, and ever since then they have been breeding and hunting for themselves; this of cause without any human interferences for a very good amount of time.
For a very long time the White Lions in the 1970s had been removed from the wildlife and had been kept captive as they were different from the others; they were later sent to zoos circuses around the globe. Now you can rest assured that you don’t entirely have to visit a circus to see the white lion.
South Africa recorded 11 white lions in the year 2018 within their natural habitat. Having 2 adult female white lions situated in Timbavati-Umbabat-Klaserie Reserves, one young adult male white lion at the Central Kruger National Park and lastly but not least the eight white lions situated at the White Lion Trust’s wildlife are.
Do embark on a journey to Southern Africa and come experience the wildlife, nature and learn more of the prehistoric legend of the children of the Sun God.