Research overview: the genetics of white lions

White lions, associated with the Timbavati region of South Africa, display a pale cream to near-white coat caused by a recessive color variant rather than true albinism, since they retain pigmented eyes and skin. This overview surveys what is known and inferred about the trait, including its proposed link to a pigmentation-pathway variant analogous to the leucistic mechanism seen in other cats, its rarity in wild populations, and the conservation and welfare controversies surrounding captive breeding for the trait. It discusses why deliberately propagating a recessive color morph can concentrate inbreeding and why white lions are best understood as a natural but uncommon variant.