| Rare White Lions Born in S.Africa | |||
Last updated: 02 Mar 2001 15:52 GMT+00:00 (Reuters) | |||
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"There are no complete records of the number of white lions, but I doubt if they number more than 100 worldwide," Ian Melass, manager of The Lion Park, said Friday. One official at the Johannesburg Zoo said the number may be as few as 30. The cubs, a male and female that are just over a week old, could be worth as much as 300,000 rand ($38,750) each if sold to another safari park or zoo. Their distinctive features stand out alongside their brother from the same litter, who has all the usual tawny and dark markings associated with the species. White lions are not albinos but are the product of a recessive gene, similar to the one that produces "king cheetahs" which have striking black horizontal stripes along their back instead of spots. Melass -- who has over 70 lions at his park -- plans to keep the male and give the female to the Johannesburg Zoo, which has its own white lion program and which has provided most of the genetic material for white lions around the world. | |||
