British photographer Simon Needham captured these amazing photographs of a white lion and they have now taken the internet by storm.
The fantastic pictures were captured at the Glen Garriff Conservation Shrine, a nature reserve in South Africa over a couple of days. So mesmerised by the lion, Needham felt that he had to take several trips in which to fully document the lion's unique presence. The lion, known as Moya, is white as a result of a rare genetic condition. At present, only 3 white lions are thought to be living in the wild anywhere in the world.
Naturally occurring white lions are a genetic rarity of Panthera Leo and historically appeared in only one place on earth, the Timbavati and Kruger regions of the Kruger in South Africa. Sadly, due to their unusual appearance, they were targeted even more commonly than other lions by poachers and trophy-hunters. Some scientists have also warned that breeding white lions in captivity in order to preserve them runs the risk of inbreeding meaning we may see fewer and fewer white lions at all in the future.
Needham now hopes that the pictures of 6-year-old Moya will help raise the plight of wild animals and emphasise why we have to do more to protect their natural environments.
The photographer told reporters:
"I love animals, but Moya's stunning coat blew me away the first time I saw it."
Needham, who now lives in Los Angeles, said on an Instagram post of Moya:
"Initially these images I shot of the beautiful Moya at @ggconservation went viral on social media but they have now been picked up by the mainstream media and are being published around the world. I'm really happy to be part of bringing well deserved attention to a very worthy cause at GG Conservation Glen Garriff where they have 77 lions in their care."
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