Wednesday

Rare white lion cub debuts at Mexican Zoo (Photos)

An extremely rare snow white lion cub met the media on Monday, its first official appearance since it was born on September 14.

The little lion, whose name has not yet been released, made its debut at Leon's Zoo in the city of Leon, in the Mexican state of Guanajuato.

White lions are a very rare subspecies that predominately live in zoos and the new baby is one of an estimated population of only 300.

The white color is caused by a recessive gene, like blue eyes in humans, and their coat shade can range from blonde to a pure white.

The beautiful species were last seen in the wild in 1994, when they were technically listed as extinct.

They are native to only the Greater Timbavati region of South Africa, where they are regarded as sacred.

Many were taken from the wild into captivity in the 1970s by Europeans for breeding.

They have been re-introduced into the wild in South Africa, through the Global White Lion Protection Trust, though their livelihood continues to be threatened as they are prized targets for hunters.
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Responses to "Incredibly rare white lion born in Mexico makes its debut at one month"

  1. Ruth says:

    My heart melted. <3

  2. SASS says:

    wow - what a lovely being! welcome.

  3. Anonymous says:

    I wanna hold him!!!!

  4. cyndy says:

    so sweet..he looks like my friends dog "Buster"

  5. Teri says:

    So Beautiful. And Thank You to those who are protecting such a presious part of Gods gift to this world.

  6. vegasval says:

    absolutely precious!

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