AGAINST A BACKDROP of ancient mountains, five lions move warily over the rocky plains of the Sanbona Wildlife Reserve in South Africa's Western Cape. This would usually pass for a typical African scene. But something is very different here: these lions, from the tops of their ears to the tips of their tails, are milk-white in colour. A pride of albino felines? Far from it - these are normal lions but their coats are pure white. Comprising two adults and three male cubs, the family is the result of arare and recessive gene, known as IE, which causes leucism. This condition affects only the colour of their coats -white lions have tawny colouring around their lips, eyes and paw pads.
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