Al Ain, UAE, January 5, 2010. Two extremely rare White lions recently arrived at the Al Ain Wildlife Park & Resort (AWPR) from South Africa. As the White lions at AWPR become familiar with their new surroundings, the public can catch a glimpse of these magnificent creatures beginning the first week of January.

The White lions at AWPR are conservation ambassadors calling attention to the urgent need to protect the African lion from extinction. 50 years ago the lion population exceeded 450,000 individuals. Today, only 20,000 lions survive in the wild.

Not long ago the African lion range spread from South Africa to the Atlas Mountains in North Africa, and from Mesopotamia to India. Today, due to hunting, habitat loss and conflict with herdsmen wild African lions are mostly found only in protected African wildlife reserves.

“Wild populations of African lions are collapsing and we're losing the African lion. We fear that wild lions will only survive in a few protected areas. The White lions at AWPR help us highlight the plight of the lion in Africa, the loss of the lion in the rest of the world, and the need to conserve species and ecosystems,' explained Dr. Mike Maunder Chief Conservation, Collection, and Education Officer at AWPR.

The White lions at AWPR are not albino; their unique hair and skin pigmentation is caused by the presence of a recessive gene known as chinchilla or color inhibitor. The eyes, paw pads and skin of the White lion retain a bluish hue. White lions were first documented in 1972 in the Krueger National Park of South Africa, though legend and folklore suggest the White lions have existed for many ages.

The White lions at AWPR were transported to the UAE by passenger aircraft from Cape Town, South Africa in late November. The 18-month old lions are brother and sister. Since their arrival at the Al Ain Wildlife Park & Resort, a highly specialized animal trainer has worked extensively with the White lions to acclimate them to their new surroundings.

“The White lions at AWPR are ambassadors for their wild cousins. We are trying to showcase the essence of the lion as a predator and a carnivore, and talk about the issues related to the conservation of lions throughout Africa and how all of us can help protect the animal, the environment of the animal, and animals in general, 'said Farshid Mehrdadfar, AWPR's Animal Collection Manager.

The White lions at AWPR are a gift from the Sanbona Wildlife Reserve in South Africa to recognize AWPR's leadership in the conservation of arid land carnivores throughout Arabia and Africa. In addition to AWPR's desert antelope conservation efforts, AWPR is leading several carnivore conservation initiatives including work with Sand cats, Arabian Leopards, and African Lions.

AWPR operates in partnership with several carnivore conservation groups around the world including the Northern Rangelands Trust and the Lewa Wildlife Conservancy in Kenya, the Sanbona Wildlife Reserve in South Africa, as well as The San Diego Zoological Society and the Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden in the United States.