Download October 2014 – White lions of Timbavati

16
TOP
OF
THE
CAPE TIMES
TIMES
FRIDAY, OCTOBER 24, 2014
nature
PURRFFEECT CO
OATS: If a cub receives a dominant ‘tawny’ gene, its pelt will be tawny. A litter can therefore comprise both white and tawny cubs.
THE Shangaan and Tsonga people
revere the white lions of Timbavati
as the spirits of deceased kings and
chiefs. In this lowveld land of
mystery and myth, these rare
African creatures epitomise
everything that is remarkable about
the continent’s wildlife. Of all the
remarkable wild animals in
southern Africa, few can match the
white lion for its raw visual impact.
We found two of these ice queen
lionesses, on top of a ridge near
Walker’s River Camp in the west of
the 500km² Timbavati Private
Nature Reserve, part of the greater
Kruger National Park.
The one white lioness had blue
eyes, a piercing, high-voltage
electric stare that seemed to sear its
way through the bushveld. Their
white coats – not beige, not cream,
but white – were like royal robes,
thrown around the broad shoulders
of the king of the beasts.
The white lions have made
Timbavati world famous. My guide
Pat Donaldson explained that there
are only six white lions occurring
naturally in the wild of Africa, and
five of them are in Timbavati (there
is also a white lioness in the south of
Kruger).
There are many other white
lions, bred for zoos and other
reserves, but it’s widely considered
that all of them have their genetic
ancestry in the wild lions of
Timbavati. This rare form of
colouring in Africa’s lion was first
sighted in October 1975 by Lanice
van den Heever, the daughter of one
of the first private land owners of
Timbavati to conserve the bushveld
and wild animals.
The arresting colouring is not a
result of “albinism”, but rather
“leucinism”, a genetic condition in
which the pelt is white but the eyes
and skin are pigmented.
In order for a cub to be born as a
white lion, both parents need to
carry the recessive white gene and
the cub has to inherit this gene from
each parent. If a cub receives a
dominant “tawny” gene, its pelt will
be tawny. A litter can therefore
comprise both white and tawny cubs.
“These particular white lions
are extra special,” explained Pat, as
we admired the lionesses basking in
the early dawn light, “because this
is the first time that a white lioness
has given birth to white cubs.
Previously, only tawny lionesses
have given birth to white cubs, or
white lionesses have given birth to
tawny cubs.”
Pictures: SCOTT RAMSAY
WHITE LIONS
ARE KING
LAPA O
OF L
LUXURY
Y: Ensuring a good sleep at camp.
L
YEAR IN THE WILD
SCOTT RAMSAY
O BEHO
OL
LD: A white lion
SIIGHT TO
stands out in the veld.
We knew that the cubs were
probably nearby, but at first we
couldn’t see them. Just after
sunrise, the white lionesses got up
and walked down into the reeds of
the Klaserie river that flows in the
west of the reserve.
The lioness grunted softly, and
we watched as a few of her tawny
cubs emerged and greeted their
mother. According to Pat, this white
lioness mother has given birth to
both tawny and white cubs in the
past few years, and that morning we
could only see the tawny cubs,
which are an older litter than the
white cubs.
The next morning, we went out
early again, and didn’t find the
adults, but we did find the
youngsters, including the three
white cubs. They were playing in
the sand of the river bed, well
hidden behind the reeds.
Where were the adults? Pat
reckoned they had gone off
hunting. “The white lioness mother
is an exceptional hunter,” said Pat,
who has sighted her regularly on
kills.
Does the unique colouring of
white lions not hinder their hunting
prowess?
“Apparently not,” Pat said. “In
fact, anecdotal evidence suggests
that the white colouring could be an
advantage for the white lions.
Antelope, buffalo, giraffe and zebra
may be confused by the strange
colouring and may not realise that
this white animal is in fact a lion!”
I could understand a prey’s
predicament. The white coats are
intriguing. In the beige bushveld,
where almost every animal species
is naturally evolved to blend into
the environment, the white lion
stands out like a shining ghost in
the black night. It’s hard to take
your eyes off this unique-looking
animal, even if it’s a hunting
machine.
The Timbavati is now part of the
greater Kruger National Park, and
when the fences between the
national park and the private
reserve were dropped in 1993, wild
animals could begin to move freely
again. Pat believes that this can
only be a good thing for
conservation. Today, the old cattle
and vegetable farms have made way
for bushveld and wild creatures,
and with the exception of one farm,
all fences have been removed.
But it’s not entirely paradise.
Hunting still occurs in places, and
because animals can wander where
they wish, this puts the future
survival of white lions at risk.
Previously, some white lions
have moved into hunting areas, and
not been seen again. While
Timbavati has done much for
conservation of the lowveld
wilderness, unscrupulous hunting
still poses a threat to these ancient
spirits of kings and chiefs.
l Ramsay is a photojournalist
focusing on Africa’s protected areas.
Partners include Cape Union Mart,
K-Way, Ford Everest and Goodyear,
www.yearinthewild.com
Walker’s River Camp 083 629
6855, [email protected]
Pat Donaldson 081 798 4005,
[email protected]