The Wildlife Heritage Foundation in Kent has some new inhabitants – two rare white lionesses. They’ve come from South Africa, where only a handful remain in the wild, and the hope is that they will mate with Themba, a white lion already there (left).
The two sisters, Sophia (above) and Joy (below), arrived on a damp May morning after an overnight flight.
Watched by two television crews and a number of journalists, the kennel-type boxes in which they’d been travelling were carefully carried through to the new enclosure built for them. With Themba, they will remain in quarantine for several months, starting off in adjoining runs while getting accustomed to each other.
The foundation has already had major sucesses in caring for and breeding engangered big cats such as Sumatran tigers (left) and Amur leopards, and it’s hoped there’ll be some white lion cubs in the not-too-distant future.
The foundation is on a farm close to Smardon, near Ashford. It was founded in 2002 by the Sampson family, who also own Paradise Wildlife Park in Broxbourne, Hertfordshire. Other WHF occupants include African lions, jaguars, cheetahs, pumas and snow leopards. Because of the breeding and conservation programme, it’s not generally open to the public but there are fundraising open days in the summer, and it’s possible to book Big Cat Experience days (where you get to hand feed some of the animals) or sign up to be a ranger for the day. More details at www.wht.org.uk or ph 01233 771915.
In the meantime, here’s wishing Themba, Sophia and Joy a happy time together.
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