This is the stunning moment the ultra rare sight of a white male lion was seeing roaming free in the wild on July 9.

Filmer and experienced safari organiser Edrich described the moment in length to Newsflare: "I had the opportunity to lead a safari in the Timbavati wilderness area, and show a group of safari tourist the sight of a white male lion, most likely the rarest animal that currently exist and live free in the African wild.

"About two weeks ago, word got out that a white male lion was spotted in a remote wilderness part of the Greater Kruger National Park conservation area, called the Timbavati. After an extensive two-week search and tracking, day in day out, the white male lion and his two tawny brothers was found, sending incredible excitement through the reserve.

"I immediately gathered my guests at camp and headed to the area that was an hour drive away through the wilderness. We finally arrived at the location and there he was, the white male lion lying on his own, shining white and bright in the morning sunlight.

"What an incredible sight it was indeed, and everybody was in awe. It was not long before we realised that his two brothers were sleeping in the shade closer to our vehicle. We admired the white male lion out in the sunlight, doing his own thing and just being a lion. After a few big yawns, the white male got up and casually strolled past us to go and join his two brothers for a nap in the shade.

"As a safari guide, leading safaris for over ten years now in the Greater Kruger area, this is by far my rarest and most incredible sight ever in the African wild.

White lions in the Timbavati wilderness reserve are believed to have been indigenous to the Timbavati region of South Africa for centuries. The earliest sighting ever recorded in this region was in 1938. Only in 1977, the existence of white lions became known to the English-speaking world through a book called "The White Lions of Timbavati."

"White lions are not albinos, but a genetic rarity unique to one endemic region on the globe, the Timbavati, Great Kruger biosphere, South Africa. White lions are leucistic, which means that a recessive gene mutation gives their fur the white colour, while their skin and eyes retain its natural pigment.

"Over time, the white lion gene was vanquished entirely in the wild, leading to a 12-year technical extinction. Currently there are only 3 wild-born white lions living in the wild. Two of these cubs turned out to be two beautiful females, living in the southern parts of the Greater Kruger area, while this white male shown in the video, left his pride and now roaming the most northern corner of the Timbavati, looking to establish himself as a dominant male in a new territory.

"According to statistics, there are only about 300 white lions left on the planet. The majority are reared, born, and raised in captivity, and sadly, those found in the wild are very nearly extinct. Several white lions are currently born and bred in captivity in zoos all over the world, but there aren’t nearly as many existing white lions left in the world as there used to be."

During the morning of 9 July 2023 I had the opportunity to lead a safari in the Timbavati wilderness area, and show a group of safari tourist the sight of a white male lion, most likely the rarest animal that currently exist and live free in the African wild.
About two weeks ago, word got out that a white male lion was spotted in a remote wilderness part of the Greater Kruger National Park conservation area, called the Timbavati. After an extensive two-week search and tracking, day in day out, the white male lion and his two tawny brothers was found, sending incredible excitement through the reserve. I immediately gathered my guests at camp and headed to the area that was an hour drive away through the wilderness. We finally arrived at the location and there he was, the white male lion lying on his own, shining white and bright in the morning sunlight. What an incredible sight it was indeed, and everybody was in awe. It was not long before we realised that his two brothers were sleeping in the shade closer to our vehicle. We admired the white male lion out in the sunlight, doing his own thing and just being a lion. After a few big yawns, the white male got up and casually strolled past us to go and join his two brothers for a nap in the shade. As a safari guide, leading safaris for over ten years now in the Greater Kruger area, this is by far my rarest and most incredible sight ever in the African wild.
White lions in the Timbavati wilderness reserve are believed to have been indigenous to the Timbavati region of South Africa for centuries. The earliest sighting ever recorded in this region was in 1938. Only in 1977, the existence of white lions became known to the English-speaking world through a book called The White Lions of Timbavati. White lions are not albinos, but a genetic rarity unique to one endemic region on the globe, the Timbavati, Great Kruger biosphere, South Africa. White lions are leucistic, which means that a recessive gene mutation gives their fur the white colour, while their skin and eyes retain its natural pigment. Over time, the white lion gene was vanquished entirely in the wild, leading to a 12-year technical extinction. Currently there are only 3 wild-born white lions living in the wild. Two of these cubs turned out to be two beautiful females, living in the southern parts of the Greater Kruger area, while this white male shown in the video, left his pride and now roaming the most northern corner of the Timbavati, looking to establish himself as a dominant male in a new territory.
According to statistics, there are only about 300 white lions left on the planet. The majority are reared, born, and raised in captivity, and sadly, those found in the wild are very nearly extinct. Several white lions are currently born and bred in captivity in zoos all over the world, but there aren’t nearly as many existing white lions left in the world as there used to be.