Rare white lion cub born in Hungary Zoo

The adorable cub will open its eyes for the first time in around two weeks. 

A rare white lion cub was born at Nyíregyháza Zoo in Hungary on Friday, 26 August.  The baby lion was born to a white lion couple that has been living in the zoo since 2015. 

The father is a white lion who originally came from a zoo in the Netherlands and the mother is from the Czech Republic.  The white lion's unique fur is caused by a recessive gene and their rare fur is often sought after by poachers. 

The majority of white lions live in zoos and are now selectively bred, while the lion is seen as divine in some cultures.  The white lion is not a particular subspecies but instead just an African Lion with a mutated gene.  Some white lions are also thought to have the less-severe version of the gene that causes albinism. 

The zoo said that the cubs fur would become a light beige, similar to that of its parents and its eyes would open in around two weeks.  In around four weeks, the zoo will determine the cub's gender.