Casper | The White Lion of Kruger

Casper is one of the rare white lions roaming freely in Kruger National Park, his pale coat caused by a rare recessive gene called leucism, not albinism. White lions are an unusual colour variant of the Southern African lion and occur naturally only in the Timbavati and central Kruger regions. Sightings of these lions in the wild are extremely uncommon, with only a handful known to exist. Casper, born around 2014, was part of a powerful coalition of four brothers that once held territory near Satara, but today he is considered an elder at about 11–12 years old, a remarkable age given the threats wild lions face.

Despite bearing the battle scars of past territorial fights, recent sightings suggest that Casper is now in a visibly weakened state, and it is uncertain how much longer he will continue to roam the grasslands he has long called home — making each encounter with him all the more rare and poignant.