The white lion is occasionally found in wildlife reserves in South Africa and is a rare color mutation of the Kruger subspecies of lion (Panthera leo krugeri).

It has been perpetuated by selective breeding in zoos around the world. White lions are not a separate subspecies and they have never been common in the wild. Regarded as divine by locals, White lions first came to public attention in the 1970s in Chris McBride's book The White Lions of Timbavati. The greatest population of white lions are in zoos where they are deliberately bred for color. The population of the white lion is unknown but the most recent count was in 2004 and 30 were alive. White lions are not albino lions. Instead, the white color is caused by a recessive gene known as chinchilla or color inhibitor. They vary from blonde through to near White. This coloration gives white lions a distinct disadvantage in the wild because they are highly visible. This gives them away to their prey and makes them an attractive target for hunters.

People visiting the West Midlands Safari Park near Bewdley in Worcestershire, United Kingdom will get a chance to see a very rare sight. Three white lion cubs in the Safari Park are now old enough to be viewed by the public. These lion cubs are nearly 12 weeks old, and will be viewed by the public for the first time. Each of them weighed 33lbs when born, but now they have of course grown big enough to play with each other and older lions outside their large outdoor enclosure.

White lions hail from the Kruger subspecies of lion, and are a (rare) color mutation of this subspecies