Mogo Zoo inbreeding to create white lions

White lion program a roaring success

Dylan Welch

November 7, 2007

The mojo must be raging at Mogo Zoo on the NSW South Coast.

The exotic animals zoo has revealed that it has successfully reared a litter of five male white lion cubs, which it says is a world first.

The five cubs are the latest additions to the zoo’s 12-strong white pride, and zoo owner Sally Padey said their successful rearing was a great success.

"Having a litter of five males is quite unique … this is certainly the first reported case from breeding programs in captivity around the world," she said.

The zoo, located near Batemans Bay, is now bracing itself for an influx of visitors wanting to see the furry superstars, whom the zoo’s staff have nicknamed the "gangsters".

The species is now extinct in the wild, but the private zoo launched a successful breeding program in 2004, starting with three lions imported from Timbavati in South Africa.

http://www.smh.com.au/news/national/white-lion-program-a-roaring-success/2007/11/07/1194329274393.html