These heartwarming images show an extremely rare white lion cub playing with its tawny siblings in South Africa’s famous Kruger National Park.
The cub can be seen cuddling up to its mother, lying on a rock, and running through the sand nearby.
The little white lion is leucistic, a condition that is frequently confused with albinism. However, leucism only causes partial loss of pigmentation, and while an affected animal can have completely white fur or feathers, it does not affect the eyes.
Lyle McCabe, a 30-year-old wildlife photographer, said of the sighting, ‘I was mind blown.
‘We knew the cubs had been born about a month before, but as per company protocol, we had moved away from the area for walking, tracking, and off-road driving to ensure the animals’ safety.
‘I arrived at the location and waited for about ten minutes before we saw movement in the thicket, and out came the mother with a tawny youngster in her mouth, closely followed by the pale youngster.
‘What I witnessed astounded my family and friends. ‘The other guides I work with were filled with excitement and deep jealousy.’
Despite its appearance, Mr McCabe says the cub was treated the same as its siblings, but it may face problems in the future.
‘We are all hopeful that all of the cubs will survive past the critical two-year mark, which will greatly increase their chances of survival,’ he said.
‘Hopefully, there will be many more sightings of this extremely rare genetic change.
‘The journey ahead will be difficult for all the cubs, but especially for this bright white youngster.
‘He will not only make things difficult for himself when hunting in his white coat, but he may also jeopardize his siblings’ chances of survival by revealing their position, either at the den sight or while hunting with the rest of the pride.’
See more:
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