Fluffy, mewing and the purest of pale, these white lion cubs have become an instant hit.
The adorable infants – born to two different mothers – help form the world’s largest pride of this striking species in captivity.
The cubs, who made their public debut today, take the number of white lions at West Midland Safari Park in Worcestershire to 19.
Two male cubs, named Star and Haze, were born on April 6 to lioness Natasha, before another four cubs were born on May 2 to their mother Maryn.
The latest cubs - three male and one female - have been named Neptune, Ariel, Oberon and Ophelia.
Wendy Jackson, the park’s spokeswoman, said the first outing of the ‘very playful’ cubs from the lion house led to queues of people eager to see them.
She said: ‘They went out today for the first time and they are just like large kittens, padding about and getting braver and braver by the second.
‘They walk in a row and follow each other, which is really comical.’
Meanwhile, she said, the cubs’ mothers, who are rearing their young away from the rest of the pride, watch their every step.
The park’s white lion collection has grown from four animals who were introduced in 2004.
The lions are not albino but are a rare mutation of lion found in a 200-square-mile area called Timbavati, in South Africa’s bush country.
According to African folklore, once every hundred years, magical white lions will be born bringing joy to those who witness them.
See also: Kevin Richardson, the lion whisperer of South Africa...
And this: The lion would not remember, they said...
And this: The lion sleeps tonight. Beautiful!
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