White Lioness Timbavati, South Africa

White Lioness by Pat Stotler

White lions are not albinos, nor a separate species, but carry a recessive gene unique to the Timbavati area near Kruger National Park, South Africa. In a region characterized by white sandy riverbeds and long pale grasses, their blonde through near-white coloration serves as appropriate camouflage. Local communities revere white lions and hold them sacred.