Have you seen a white lion before? Meet Zola and Zuri, blonde predatory felines from South Africa Timbavati and southern region of Kruger Park – home to the incredibly rare and beautiful white lions!

Zola (meaning love), is king of The White Lion Kingdom.

Lioness, Zuri (meaning beautiful),interacting with her young fans!

Contrary to popular belief, white lions are not albinos. Their near-white to blonde fur is due to a rare condition of a recessive mutation in the gene that results in reduced pigmentation. This condition is known as ‘leucism’.

White lions are symbols of leadership and pride to local communities in the Timbavati region. Photo credit: The Star

Just like some newborns, white lions can sleep up to 20 hours a day!

In the past 50 years, the white lion population in the wild has drastically decreased and continues to face threats of extinction. They are indiscriminately killed and human activities are taking up their natural habitat. Zola and Zuri were brought into the Wildlife Park as part of our role in conserving the species.

Learn more about their habitat destruction, life span and diets at The White Lion Kingdom!