Are white lions that have unusually light fur considered to be albinos?
Three white lions malnourished to the point that they have difficulty eating have been brought to a big cat sanctuary in Wylie. Veterinarians are tying to determine how ill the lions are. They were brought to In-Sync Exotics in Wylie on Friday after being seized by the U.S. Department of Agriculture from a Texas wildlife exhibitor in Kaufman County. Vicky Keahey, who runs the sanctuary, tells The Dallas Morning News, “I’d call this probably the worst I’ve gotten.” The lions — Jazz, Shazam and Sheila — 42 other exotic cats at the sanctuary. The animals are said to be in poor health, have pressure sores from lying in one place and have a difficult time keeping their heads up. The white lions have unusually light fur but are not albinos. Their color results from a rare genetic mutation. Neither the exhibitor, Marcus Cook, or Dept. of Agriculture officials could be reached for comment, DallasNews said. Sources:
The white lions have unusually light fur but are not albinos. Their color results from a rare genetic mutation. The lions join 42 other exotic cats. Sources: http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/breaking/6526544.
