Owning an exotic pet white lion may only be possible for hardcore pet lovers with extra million dollars to burn from their asset because keeping an aggressive predator such as a lion as pet is expensive. Having a lion in your yard can be a cause of alarm for many: the neighbors’ cats and their owners, your family and friends, even the life of the exotic animal itself can be in danger if proper care and looking after is not ensured. That’s also the reason most states regulate owning an exotic pet white lion in the household level.
Here are some common questions and answers if you’re considering owning a white lion as pet.
Who Can Own a White Lion
Licensed zoo included, anybody with millions of dollars extra budget to burn may own a pet white lion. To begin with, a white lion cub can cost no less than $130,000 to acquire—forget about the measly couple of grand exotic pet insurance. (Forbes list white lions as the world’s most expensive pet.) If money isn’t a problem, consider your qualification of owning exotic pets.
Owning any exotic pets, much more a lion, is highly regulated by the state. If your state’s laws allow exotic pets at home level, you still need to apply for a license from proper agency, usually the Department of Wildlife and Rescue or any equivalent office. You must prove to the state that you are capable of caring and barricading your potentially dangerous pet from harming you, your family, and your community. This is the trickiest part of applying for a license: you may need to hire a pro zoo keeper to look after your pet before a license can be issued.
Where Do White Lions Originate
White lions originate from specific regions in Africa: their natural habitat is the region of Timbavati in South Africa; some sightings of white lions are also reported in the Kruger region. It’s not true what they say that white lions die of starvation in the wild due to camouflage issues when hunting: they thrive well in this region where the grassland are pale in winter and the ground are mostly white from extinct seabed.
Why are White Lions White
The exotic pet white lions are white because of a yet to be identified recessive gene that’s dictating the color of their coat, contrary to popular belief that they are albino. However they differ in terms of genetic makeup from their tawny cousins, they’re not classified as a subspecies of the Panthera leo making them just ordinary lions.
Why are White Lions Not Considered Endangered
Because white lions are not accepted (at least not yet) a subspecies of Panthera leo, they’re not considered endangered species. This means it’s easier to own exotic pet white lions than other exotic pet species, if you have the money. Even then, there is evidence of rarity of these kinds of lions in the wild, so owning them should be done in a very responsible and secure way, if the laws in your state will allow individual ownership.
What’s Involved in Owning a White Lion as Exotic Pet
Aside from the essential exotic pet insurance that’s required of you as part of granting you license to own white lions, you’re in to other “pricey” necessities of owning an exclusive fresh-meat-eating predator. The veterinary needs of lions are pricey too: not all vets and vet clinics can handle, much less trained to take care of, big, exotic pets such as lions. You might need to hire the same vets that licensed zoo hires for their animals
By now you should be able to decide if an exotic pet lion is for you or not. Just keep in mind to keep your family, community, the animal’s, and your safety above your desire to standout or own a stunning pet such as a white lion.
