The Global White Lion Protection Trust (WLT) celebrated the unveiling of its newly constructed staff eco-village with its employees, donors, visitors from surrounding communities and out-of-town dignitaries. The village is located on the WLT’s 1000 hectare reserve and was built predominantly by the Trust’s employees as part of a dedicated skills-transfer programme.

The eco-village has been constructed from environmentally sensitive and recyclable materials, using “green” building techniques. It was conceptualised and designed by Theuns Naude, owner of Nelspruit based SME construction company, Umnumzane Builders, trading as Solar Green Projects. Solar Green Projects staff completed the first phase of the building to ensure structure integrity, after which they transferred construction skills to WLT staff who completed the village. 

After nearly 14 years of technical extinction in their natural endemic habitat, three snow white lion cubs have been born to the project in the Greater Timbavati region.

Historical Perspective
More elusive than the African leopard, rarer than the legendary Snow Leopard of the Himalayas, and as white as the polar bear of Alaska, the birth of these three cubs is a momentous occasion that heralds a new era for this rare lineage.

There are only an estimated 500 white lions worldwide - in captivity. Regarded by African tribal elders as the most sacred animal on the African continent, this rarest of rarities have been hunted to extinction in the wild by trophy hunters and poachers who pay astronomical sums to shoot a white lion for pleasure. They have also been hunted in captivity in a notorious malpractice known as ‘canned lion hunting.’ No law protects them from being wiped off the face of the earth.

Our most enthusiastic and unparalleled expression of White Lion Pride was, without doubt, our visit to present our "Madiba, White Lion" play to Mr Mandela himself! 25 Learners from Funjwa Primary School in Acornhoek and their educators along with 6 representatives from the Global White Lion Protection Trust traveled to Johannesburg to meet with Mr Mandela.

Words are in short supply to describe the profound joy and celebration experienced by us all. We are truly grateful for the support and careful guidance of our friend and advisor, MP Mninwa Mahlangu (Chairperson of the National Council of Provinces - South African Parliament) and the Nelson Mandela Foundation in coordinating this special event. To the learners of Funjwa, we can only say: "Halala White Lion-hearted performers, Halala!"