Albino Lion

Albino Lion

Most commonly referred to as the white lion, the albino lion is a rarity. Due to fur colors taking on a cream or an appearance as this species ages, they are not technically considered to be an albino animal. A recessive gene occurs in a small percentage of lions, failing to deliver pigmentation to the hair follicles.

As the lions are young, and into early adulthood, their color is bright white and their eyes are a crystal blue, almost white or faint gray hue. As the lion ages, skin and hair colors can change slightly to have tinges of cream or tan.



The white lion is seen mostly in the Kruger subspecies, which is native to the Timbavati area. It is unknown why the dominant number of albino lions is within this subspecies given that Timbavati is only about a 200 square mile radius.

While their existence had been mentioned several hundred years ago, it was not until the 1970s that the animal was brought into the public eye. It is noted that there are no more than 70 in the world today.