Meet Simba and Nala, a pair of white lion cubs who were born at the Caresse de Tigre sanctuary in France.
This is a very happy outcome since they are the offspring of a pair of adult lions who were rescued from a circus and saved from a terrible life.
White lions are listed as vulnerable on the endangered species list, there are only around 300 left in the whole world and only around 13 in the wild.
It is difficult to get an accurate number as there are many still in captivity with illegal breeders and circus owners who operate under the radar.
They may appear white, by their fur is actually a ‘light brown,’ this unique coloring is caused by a genetic mutation that is similar to the one that gives humans blue eyes.
The fact that the parents of the cubs were saved from a shady circus, meant to owners of the snactuary especially delighted.
“The owners of the two lions wanted to sell them to a circus,” explained Caresse de Tigre owner Klimonde Brigitte. “We had to raise five thousand euros to pay for them, and now they belong to us.”
Of course, as they get older, they wont be able to play with house pets, but for now, this shows how sweet and playful these big cats can be when they’re still small.
The goal is for these cat sanctuaries to provide abused and endangered animals a safe shelter in the hope they will live their lives as naturally as possible.
There will be 300 hectares of land to roam in the sanctuary for the pair. Hopefully, they can grow old together while their species struggles to stay alive.
