Adventure with a purpose: Bucket list: Walking with rare white lions

The White Lions of Lory Park zoo and animal Sanctuary, Midrand, South Africa
http://www.lorypark.co.za/

To see a white lion in captivity in rare to see them out in the wild even rarer!

30 mins drive from our home we find Lory Park Zoo and they have white lions! Daniel and Heidi had more cubs and so off we went to come face to face with these beautiful and rare wild cats!

Lory Park Zoo is currently in possession of two gorgeous adult white lions ,Daniel and Heidi, who have produced eight cubs.

A litter of three cubs was born in 2012 and all three were hand-reared. A second litter of five cubs was born in 2013; three were removed for their own well-being while the remaining two (a male, Gabriel, and a female, Gazelle) were left with the parents. Both cubs are still with the parents and have not been handled by humans. A male cub was traded for other animals in August 2013 and now lives at the Hodonin Zoo in the Czech Republic. go to this link for updates and newsletters: http://www.lorypark.co.za/#!latest-news-and-updates/c1jo

The other lions - a male and a female

check out their volunteer programmes: http://www.lorypark.co.za/#!volunteer/cihc

School tours : http://www.lorypark.co.za/#!schools--holiday-programs/clsm

direct from their website:

"Lory Park is an animal and bird sanctuary that is not only home to a wide range of abandoned and injured wildlife but is also a learning centre for children to understand and appreciate the importance of our wildlife heritage.

Lory Park Zoo and Animal Sanctuary Grounds, Midrand, JohannesburgCurator, Eddy van Eck started off at age 14 collecting Lories, Lorikeets and Cockatoos and by the mid ’90′s his collection of Lorikeets was the largest in the Southern Hemisphere. After many years of furthering his education in this field, Eddy realised his dream of opening an animal sanctuary/mini-zoo.

The visitor’s experience is one of being up-close and personal, whether you are introducing the kids to the animals or enjoy petting some of the tamer residents. Remember to bring your camera. An interactive feeding time with certain animals, takes place on a daily basis, usually between 13h00 and 14h00.

Lory Park Zoo and Animal Sanctuary Petting, Midrand, Johannesburg

At Lory Park Zoo you can see big cats such as the Bengal tiger, cheetah, lynx, jaguar, leopard, lion, puma and Siberian tiger, smaller cats like the ocelot, and a variety of primate species. There is also a large variety of birds and reptiles.

There is a Tea Garden on the premises, which is ideal for light lunches, snacks and drinks, a jungle gym and an animal-petting play area.

Address: 180/1 Kruger Road, President Park, Midrand: Telephone: +27 (0)11 315-7307: Opening hours: Monday to Sunday from 10h00 to 16h00, 365 days a year. "

So what is a white lion? it is a rare colour mutation of the Timbavati area. White lions are the same as their tawny African Lion (Panthera leo krugeri)family found in some wildlife reserves in South Africa and around the world in various zoos.

It is interesting to note that these beautiful White lions are not a separate subspecies but are actually thought to be indigenous to the Timbavati region of South Africa for centuries, even though the earliest recorded sighting was only in 1938 around this area.

Locals regard this incredible creature as divine and when you see them in real life it is hard not to believe they are just that!! It was only back in 1970 that the white lions were really brought into to the public through Chris McBride's book The White Lions of Timbavati. Up until 2009, when the first pride of white lions was reintroduced into the wild, it was a common belief that the white lions could not possibly survive out in the wild. This is the reason that a large part of the population of white lions are found living in zoos. Not ideal but they are probably safer there away from poaches for all to see these wondrous wild cats of Africa!!.

The White lions found in Mazanie are not actually albinos, but in fact their white colour is actually caused by a recessive trait derived from a less-severe mutation in the same gene that leads to albinism, quiet distinct from the gene responsible for white tigers. They vary from blonde to near-white, however it has been found that this rare coloration does not appear to create any disadvantage to their survival. The white lions of the Global White Lion Protection Trust (GWLPT) have been reintroduced into their natural habitat rather successfully and have been hunting and breeding without any human intervention for a significant amount of time. This is indeed very exciting and I hope their numbers increase significantly!

Breeding:

As mentioned its a recessive gene gives these white lions their unusual colours and a similar gene also produces white tigers. White lions can therefore be selectively bred for zoos, animal shows and wildlife parks. I am not one for zoos and animal shows but if this assists in preventing the world losing such creatures then perhaps this is what needs to be done. I really hope their numbers increase in the wild so this method of preservation can eventually fall away.

This from of breeding involves inbreeding and can result in inbreeding depression (genetic defects, reduced fertility, and physical defects), although this has not yet been found to cause hind-limb paralysis or serious heart defects, which would indicate a severe level of inbreeding.

Many people are concerned about white lions mating with lions of other alleles, due to possible extinction of the white lion. But apparently this is not the case as the offspring will actually inherit the recessive white gene and therefore make it possible to produce white offspring in a later generation. Some critics maintain that white lions should not be introduced into the wild because of the inbreeding that has taken place in zoos and breeding camps. However, ethical reintroduction programs such as The Global White Lion Protection Trust have ensured through the use of scientific methodologies that the lions in their program are not inbred. It will be interesting to keep abreast of new research as it unfolds and what new ideas are born from the on going research.

I found out that several parks and zoos have white lions that we as the public are able to go and see:

White lion cub at Rhino & Lion Nature Reserve, Kromdraai. South Africa.

Kruger and Umfolozi white lions:

In 1979, three litters which contained white lions were recorded in Kruger National Park. In March, a female lion with three white cubs was discovered near Tshokwane. In September, three white cubs (from two different lionesses) were seen. Another litter of white female cubs was captured from Kruger National Park and treated for sarcoptic mange. A white lion was found in the Hluhluwe-Umfolozi Game Reserve in Zululand.

West Midland Safari Park:

In 2004, four white lions arrived at West Midland Safari Park, the only white lions in the United Kingdom. Roland, the male, and three lionesses; Marin, Natasha, and JoAnn came to settled into the "Kingdom of the White Lion" exhibit within the park. So well that in 2008, one of the lioness had four cubs in the space of 9 hours, doubling the total to eight in England. This small pride at the Park in Worcestershire is the only pride of white lion in the UK and is also breeding very well which is really very exciting!

White lions of unknown ancestry:

A white lion breeding program is currently underway at Inkwenkwezi Private Game Reserve in South Africa's Eastern Cape province.

Four white lion cubs were born at the Papanack Park Zoo outside Ottawa. They have since been released into the main reserve with the other tawny lions.

Continuous monitoring by the Wildlife Department at Sanbona has ensured their white lions are still wild, well, and free just as they should be!!.

Jurques Zoo in France

In May 2007 four white lion cubs were born at Jurques Zoo in France. The cubs consisted of one male and three females. Each cub weighed approximately 1.5 kilograms (3.3 pounds) at birth, and all four were in good health. However, they needed to be hand fed because their mother was not taking proper care of them.

Belgrade Zoo in Serbia

Belgrade zoo in Serbia has 12 white lions. In 2010 four were born by two female lions, each weighing about 1.5 kg (3.3 pounds). Four additional white lions were born in April 2011. One more cub was born in October 2013,but died soon after.

Karachi Zoo

In 2012, the Karachi Zoo, Pakistan, purchased a juvenile male and juvenile female white lion. They have had 2 cubs.

Toronto Zoo

In 2012, Toronto Zoo received three white lions to their African zone and replacing the single white lioness the zoo had since 1996. In September 2015, four white lion cubs were born at the zoo.

Pafos Zoo

Pafos Zoo, an Animal and Bird wildlife park in Cyprus, received two seven-month-old white lion cubs in 2011.

Tbilisi Zoo

In December 2013, four white lion cubs were born at Tbilisi Zoo in Georgia. Cubs needed to be hand fed because their mother wasn't taking proper care of them. Another 3 cubs were born in May 2014.

Singapore Night Safari

Singapore Night Safari, A subsidiary of Wildlife Reserves Singapore, recently acquired two white lions, a male and a female.

The Kingdom of Zion

A Lion protection and preservation sanctuary in New Zealand possess six male white lions and four female white lions.

Magan Zoo Abony

A private Zoo in Abony, Hungary recently acquired two white lion cubs, one male and one female lion.

Reino Animal in Mexico

Mexican zoo Reino Animal, located in Otumba, State of Mexico, also has a couple of white lions which can be seen at the "Safari Leones" (Lions' Safari

Genetics

White Lions are not albinos but are leucistic. They have pigment visible in the eyes (which may be the normal hazel or golden color, blue-gray, or green-gray), paw pads and lips. Blue-eyed white lions exist and may be selectively bred. The leucistic trait is due to a recessive mutation in the gene for Tyrosinase (TYR), an enzyme responsible for the production of melanins.More severe mutations in the same gene have been found to cause albinism in many species, while another less severe mutation in the same gene is responsible for the Chinchilla coloring trait seen in several mammals. Reduced pigment production decreases the deposition of pigment along the hair shaft, restricting it to the tips. The less pigment there is along the hair shaft, the paler the lion. As a result, "white" lions range from blonde to near-white. The males have pale manes and tail tips instead of the usual dark tawny or black.

The Latin name of Panthera leo krugeri is not limited to white lions. It applies to all subspecies of South African lions, the prides of which are mostly located in Kruger National Park and nearby game reserves.

In the wild within their natural endemic range:

In 2003, the Global White Lion Protection Trust (WLPT) initiated the first ever reintroduction of white lions to their natural endemic range - the Greater Timbavati region in South Africa. Preliminary results have shown that the hunting success of the white lion pride was comparable to or higher than the wild prides ('normal' coloured / tawny) of the Timbavati itself (Turner 2005).[full citation needed] This pride of "all" white lions has shattered the misperception that white lions cannot hunt successfully (within their natural endemic habitat) due to a perceived lack of camouflage. The long-term objective of the WLT is to restore the natural balance by reintroducing an integrated pride/s of white and tawny lions within their endemic range. White lions are a unique contribution to the biodiversity of the region and are revered by the local communities that hold them sacred.