White lions take pride of place at Pumba – The Herald La Femme 17 June 2009
PUMBA Private Game Reserve has a flourishing white lion pride, and now plans to introduce a second pure white lion to the family.
It started with one pure white lion and two lioness with mixed genes – the tawny females were essential to help the white male hunt, as he was not camouflaged enough to hunt successfully.
“They almost glow in the moonlight,” is how Pumba director Dale Howarth describes the pure white lion who arrived on the reserve less than three years ago.
“The were released in August 2006 and the idea was the rehabilitation of three animals who were captive bred to fend totally for themselves.”
The white lion programme has been so successful that Pumba has since seen three litters of cubs and now faces the problem of inbreeding as the cubs will grow up and then mate with their siblings or parents.
The two lionesses that came with Pumba’s first white lion were “split” gene animals, meaning that although they carried the gene they were not pure white themselves. Their cubs, also a paler shade than the average lion, will have their parents’ white lion gene and may, or may not, have white offspring.
“The cubs are between 12 and 18 months old and like their mothers they have split genes which means they are a light sandy colour.
“You will have a kickback every now and again, like at Timbavati, which will produce a pure white cub. However, to prevent inbreeding, we are selling the offspring and in their place, to keep the pride going, we are bringing in a pure white female.”
La Femme readers who have read reports of lion cubs being sold for canned hunting or too zoos can rest assured, says Dale – the seven cubs will go to a good home. “They will not be going to a zoo or a hunting programme.”
It will be a little while before there is a new litter but the introduction of the new lioness will help enrich the gene pool.
