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Timbavati camp in the Kruger National Park is best known for its white lions which are a source of fascination to many, in fact in the 1970s Chris McBride wrote a book entitled The White Lions of Timbavati.
White lions were first sighted in 1928. These animals are not albino but possess gene which inhibits colour. These animals are known as Leusistic and differ from albinos in that the reduced skin pigment is universal not just the melanin. Another way of differentiating leusistics from albinos is that they have normal coloured eyes, not red. Colours of White Lions range from milky blonde to almost pure white.
Such a gene also creates White Tigers, and so many animals are inbred for exhibition. Inbreeding may lead to physical defects such as heart conditions and poor fertility. Despite these likely health risks, white lions continue to be bred for fear that they will become extinct.
Linda Tucker Writes in her book, Mystery of the White Lions. Children of the Sun God that white lions are bred in South Africa for special hunts. Their pigmentation makes them highly visible and therefore an easy target for hunters.
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