Hollywild Animal Park is proud to join the efforts of the Ukutula Research and Education program in welcoming a rare Timbavati White Lion into its animal collection.
Hollywild is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization with a more than 40-year history in the Upstate of South Carolina.
Facts:
- Mandela was captive born and hand raised at the Ukutula Research and Education Facility in South Africa (ukutula.com)
- He was born January 25, 2010 and weighs more than 600 lbs.
- He arrived at Hollywild on Monday, March 10, 2015 with a 9 year old lioness, “Icis” (meaning “divine.”)
- Icis was born and reared at Tiger World Conservation and Education Center in North Carolina and is a “brown” normal color variation lioness.
- Both of Mandela’s parents “Felix” and “Jenny,” were Timbavati Lions that were the “brown” normal color variation. Both carried the white recessive gene.
- This is the first time Hollywild has been a part of an international breeding program.
- This represents an expansion of the Park’s platform for conservation education and commitment to support species biodiversity.
Hollywild Animal Park is home to hundreds of animals and dozens of species that are native to five world continents. None are taken from the wild and all find homes here as representatives of their native species. The animals at Hollywild have been born in captivity and are dependent upon humans for their care. They could not survive in the wild due to that dependency. In caring for them, Hollywild provides them a home while opening its doors to tens of thousands of visitors each year fulfilling the Park’s mission to be an educational resource to the public. Visitor admissions and donor contributions provide funding for the animal care and offer visitors an opportunity to meet and interact with animals they would have very little chance of seeing any other way.
The newest addition to the Hollywild family, a rare Timbavati White Lion (Panthera leo krugeri) expands the Park’s conservation and education platform marked by our entrance into an international breeding program designed to secure population of white lions and species diversity for the future.
Ukutula, meaning “the place of quiet,” is a specialized conservation center in South Africa. The center’s staff has been part of a 7-year genetic study of the Timbavati lions working with researchers at Pretoria University. Mandela and his half-brother, “Michael,” have come to the United States to expand a strong genetic line of lions that carry and pass on the rare white genes. Michael is in residence at Tiger World in Rockwell, North Carolina. Both Michael and Mandela are true recessive gene carriers where both of their parents were normal dominant brown-colored lions. Both lions’ offspring will be tracked and reported back to the researchers at Ukutula who monitor the international breeding effort.
Hollywild’s lion, “Mandela,” is named after the South African leader Nelson Mandela – one man who made an incredible impact on both his own country and all of humanity. We honor his incredible legacy by giving our Mandela a home here. We share his story in the hopes of making a difference in how others perceive animal in the wild and the choices they can make in their own lives to be good stewards of our world environment.
“Nelson Mandela was one man who changed the world, leaving a legacy that will live forever. His life was dedicated to educating others and showing them how to make the most of the resources they have.
It is our hope that Mandela will be one lion whose life leaves a legacy. His unique qualities will be preserved and shared for generations to come, impacting and promoting positive change in how humans serve as stewards of our environment and the world we all share.” – David Meeks, Executive Director, Hollywild Animal Park
Mandela’s lineage traces back to the small pocket population of white lions discovered in the 1970’s in the Timbavati Reserve in Kruger National Park in South Africa. It is believed that there are less than 300 in existence and they are rarely seen. Their light colored pelage (fur) is said by some to represent the “goodness of all creatures.” Their white coloration is due to Leucism, a recessive gene shared by both of a white cat’s brown parents. The extremely rare pairing of the recessive gene in offspring makes the fur lack pigmentation. The lack of pigmentation can range from stark, bright white to a blonde color, such as Mandela’s.
The key to protecting this rare quality is a responsible breeding program that brings white and brown lions together to form a diverse, strong gene pool. Using the highest ethical breeding standards modeled by the Ukutula program, Mandela and his mate Icis (a name meaning “divine”), will produce brown offspring that will carry the recessive gene. After several generations, Mandela’s line of descendants can join with a separate lineage of other white lions. By carefully tracking and monitoring breeding pairs and their descendants over time the genetic pool remains strong.
“Hollywild is proud to be joining the efforts of the Ukutula Research and Education program where Mandela was captive born and hand raised. If not for this intentional and responsible program, the white lion would quickly disappear. By working with the the Ukutala program, we are making an impact in the sustainability of these amazing animals for the future.” – David Meeks, Executive Director, Hollywild Animal Park
Why not breed two white lions?
Zookeepers learned from the white tigers. In India, white tigers were brought into captivity and bred for their beauty and unique coloration as early as the 1400’s. To achieve the desired coloring from recessive genes, there was significant inbreeding which caused severe health problems and immune deficiencies due to the degeneration of the gene pool. Though the mid-to-late 20th century brought corrections to breeding practices to improve the genetics of white tigers in captivity, the lessons learned by the past have given us a foundation for the highest standards of animal husbandry for today and the future.
The difference between Leucism and Albinism:
A white lion is not an albino. Leucism is a recessive trait that causes their unique coloration. For instance, blue eye color in humans is a recessive trait. It is not considered linked to any genetic weakness in the individual with blue eyes. Albinism is caused by a mutation of a gene rather than a recessive gene. The mutation is responsible for a lack of pigmentation, generally in hair, skin, and eyes and often coincides with other weaknesses (animal or human) with the condition. Mutations in gene pools are often linked to weaknesses shown in the health of the animal with the mutated gene. Most common are vision problems, but additional health concerns may be present. Inbreeding, such as was the case with many early white tiger breeding programs, also causes weakness in gene pools and can greatly impact animal health. A responsible, intentional, and ethical breeding program prevents inbreeding while improving the likelihood that rare genetic qualities can be sustained.
Where else can white lions (Panther leo krugeri) be seen in the United States?
The Cincinnati Zoo(Ohio), the Philadelphia Zoo(Pennsylvania), The Secret Garden (Nevada), and Tiger World (North Carolina) are among the few facilities providing homes to white lions in the U.S.
Come Experience The Heart of Hollywild in 2015
- Hollywild Animal Park is open to the public daily beginning April 1st through August and weekends in September and October through October 25th.
- Hollywild is open Labor Day from 9 AM – 5 PM.
- Hollywild closes to the public from Monday, Oct. 26 through November 13 to prepare for the 25th Annual Holiday Lights Safari Benefit which opens Saturday, November 14th and run nightly through January 2, 2016.
Hours: For more information about our Seasonal Hours, please visit www.hollywild.org