Rare White Lions Make Debut At French Charity

(Photo Credit: David Williams/HotSpot Media)

These two cubs are the cutest things you will see today!

Two rare white lion cubs were unveiled by a conservation charity in north-western France. The two cubs, named Nala and Simba, (yes, this is too cute and very Disney) had parents that were rescued from the circus by Caresse de Tigre, a French animal rescue association.

Photos of the cubs were released to the public earlier this week and shows them looking happy and healthy.

The Caresse de tigre association collects wild animals that are in captivity from places like circuses and zoological gardens, and care for them at a sanctuary on the banks of the river Seine.

White lions are native to South Africa, but only a handful remain in the wild. The white lion is a rare color mutation of the lion – not to be confused with being albino – specifically the Southern African lion. Their white color is caused by a recessive trait that comes from a less-severe mutation in the same gene that causes albinism. As a result, they vary from blonde to near-white.

White lions have a life expectancy of 16.8 years when living in a zoo, according to the Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden. So these cubs are expected to live a full and healthy life not that they are safe in a sanctuary and properly cared for daily.

By: Maytinee Kramer