The ghost pride

As they padded across the grass in unison, there was something distinctly other-worldly about them.

This pride of white lions has been brought to Britain as one of the rarest attractions of the animal kingdom.

It is estimated that there are only 70 in the world - and four of them are now on show at the West Midland Safari Park in Bewdley, Worcestershire.

At a cost of £250,000, 16-month-old Mubuto and his sister Natasha, their 15-month-old half-sister Johanne and unrelated Maryn, 19 months, were bought from the Kruger National Park in South Africa. The animals are not albinos because their tawny eyes are the same as any lion, but they are affected by a genetic condition known as leucism which means they lose the normal pigmentation in their skin and fur.

In the wild, such cubs are sometimes killed by members of their own pride, or picked off by hyenas. They also make highly profitable targets for poachers.

Several zoos in countries such as the U.S., Canada, China, Germany and Japan have begun breeding programmes to try to ensure the survival of the ghostly creatures.

Some conservationists have argued that nature should be allowed to take its course and the cubs be left to fend for themselves in the wild.

Others suggest that with Africa's lion population falling by 90 per cent to only 18,000 over the last ten years because of hunting, disease and loss of habitat, the species needs all the help it can get.

The first rumours of white lions began to circulate in the late 1920s. But there was no official confirmation until 1975 when a litter containing two white cubs and an ordinary one was seen at the Timbavati Game Reserve adjacent to Kruger.

The white cubs were named Temba (which is Zulu for 'Hope') and Tombi ('Girl'). They were taken to live at Pretoria Zoo. An African myth states that white lions appear only once every 100 years as a symbol of the purity of the animal kingdom.

The safari park hopes that the aura and mystique of the animals will turn them into a major draw.

'This is the biggest single animal investment that the park has ever made,' said spokesman Wendy Jackson. 'It is a very exciting event for us and we are hoping that in the security of their reserve the animals will breed successfully.'

The lions are in a three-acre drive through enclosure incorporating rocky outcrops, pools and a waterfall.