White lions are, due to the peculiar coloration of their fur, one of the most striking and surprising animals found both in the wild and in captivity. But they are in danger, so the aim is to maintain their survival and encourage the birth of new offspring that retain the same strange white coloration of their parents' fur.
If you want to know why the white lion is in danger of extinction and how to help prevent it, continue reading this article on our site in which we talk, in detail, about these majestic felines.
Characteristics of the white lion and where it lives
Commonly known as white lions, these curious felines are individuals of one of the types of lions, the South African lion or Transvaal lion (Panthera leo krugeri), which stand out for the unusual coloration of their fur. This coloration is due to a genetic peculiarity. In other words, these big cats are carriers of a rare mutation in the gene that determines the color of their fur, which is called leucism
However, despite the snowy tone that characterizes the fur of white lions, the eyes maintain their normal coloration, which differentiates them from albino animals. Albinism is another genetic oddity that, among other characteristics, leads to white fur or plumage.
On the other hand, white lions are characterized by a greater wingspan and corpulence than the other subspecies of lions, reaching 300 cm in length in the case of males and 270 cm in females.
In terms of habitat, the geographical distribution of these unusual lions includes four countries in Southern Africa, which are South Africa, specifically the Kruger National Park, where the largest population of these lions is located, in addition to Zimbabwe, Mozambique and Botswana.
How many white lions are there in the world?
According to data published by the South African organization Global While Lion Protection Trust, specialized in the protection and conservation of this amazing feline, there are currently only 13 white lions in the wild However, this number increases almost to 300 in captivity, since there are white lions that are born and are raised in reserves specialized in the protection and promotion of the survival of this species.
This ambitious international objective to keep these lions alive and achieve their survival in captivity offers hope when it comes to reinforcing the gene pool of the species and ensuring that white lions are reintroduced in the future and mate naturally in their habitats.
Why is the white lion in danger of extinction? Causes
Knowing each and every one of the reasons why white lions are in danger of extinction today allows us to promote the conservation and protection of these amazing animals. According to the list of the International Union for the Conservation of Nature, white lions are listed as a species in vulnerable conservation status (VU), mainly due to the causes that we review below.
Wildlife trafficking
In South Africa, as we have seen, one of the regions where it is possible to find white lions in the wild, the quality and characteristics of their conservation are becoming more and more industrial, promoting, in Sometimes the legal trade of these lions from reserves commonly criticized for being "conservation farms," where individuals are sometimes not respected for maintain their survival, but are treated as puppets of the trade and entertainment with animals.
Loss of natural habitat
The increasingly drastic loss and division of the regions that make up the natural habitats of white lions in southern Africa due to the effects of climate change and the irresponsible human actions put the correct reproduction and he althy development of the few individuals that live in the wild at a crossroads.
Low birth rate
The need to perpetuate the species in captivity is constantly hindered by the low number of offspring that are born and their poor survival, since, on numerous occasions, this is compromised bydiseases In addition, forced inbreeding by captive breeding and breeding makes survival and exchange even more difficult between individuals.
How to help the white lion?
If we want to help prevent the white lions from becoming extinct, the most important thing of all is, first of all, to become aware of the importance of management studies and protection of populations of these felines and their natural habitats. More and more national and international organizations are creating campaigns to ask for the support of society and achieve the implementation of the necessary measures for the reintroduction into nature of the white lions.
On the other hand, it is really advantageous to help projects that opt for the conservation of lions in their habitat versus those that focus on survival in captivity. This action can take the form of financial contributions to specific projects or through the work of volunteering and/or dissemination of information. As little as it may seem, our action always adds up to help the white lions to survive and perpetuate their existence on Earth.
