“Rumors of the existence of pure White Lions have lived in the African Oral Tradition for centuries.  But there is only one place on earth were they have materialized – the Timbavati region, bordering the Kruger National Park of South Africa.  To the African elders, used to looking for spiritual signs in nature, the White Lions’ arrival was the fulfillment of ancient prophecy that identified these majestic creatures as angelic messengers from God. Identified as a sacred site by African Kings for many hundreds of years, the name ‘Tsimba-vaati’ in the ancient Shangaan language means “the place where star lions came down from the heavens”. Born to the golden lion prides that roam the vast Timbavati region, the African elders explained their mysterious white color in spiritual terms, meaning purity and enlightenment, beyond all racial connotations. White is sunlight, all the colors of the spectrum in one - beyond color, creed, race or gender. The White Lions are a magnificent icon for South Africa’s rainbow nation, and a unifying symbol across world culture.”  - Linda Tucker, author of “Mystery of the White Lions: Children of the Sun God”.

Until 1975, the white lion was just that…a mythical beast surrounded in a surreal mist.  Chris McBride was doing research in the Timbavati area in Northeastern South Africa when a litter of cubs was born to the pride he was following.  Much to his surprise, two of the cubs were white!  Chris named these cubs Temba, the white male; Tombi, the white female; and Vela, the normal colored male cub.  Chris documented the development of these cubs in his book, “The White Lions of Timbavati”.  Once the cubs were around a year old, Chris realized that these lions stood little chance of surviving to maturity in the wild.  Their spectacular coloration made the very conspicuous during hunts and it was clear that they held a social status of low esteem among the pride.   Chris wrote a follow up book, “Operation White Lion” in which Chris agonized over letting Mother Nature control the destiny of these magnificent animals or stepping in himself and bring them into the safety and security of captivity.   Another local pride had also had a white female cub, Phuma, born about the same time.  She suddenly disappeared from that pride and Chris knew that she had been lost forever.  This helped him make up his mind.  He could not stand idly by and allow these wondrous animals to once again fade into the realm of myth.

Temba, Tombi, and Vela were captured by Chris McBride and taken to the National Zoo in Pretoria, South Africa.  Here Temba sired several offspring.  Vela, too, produced a few cubs.  Unfortunately, Tombi died at a young age without passing on her genes. 

A second line of white lions happened to develop at the same time at the Johannesburg Zoo.  An injured male of normal color had been brought to the zoo in 1977.  When he was bred back to his daughters, white cubs began to appear.  These cats produced many cubs over the years and are the predominant bloodline today.

The third bloodline of white lions originated from a white male, Whity, captured from the wild in 1991 from the Hoedspruit area of South Africa.  Whity went to the Mokwalo Game Preserve and was paired with a female carrying the white gene obtained from the Pretoria Zoo.  They also produced many kittens.