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.