Picture of the day: Heartbreakingly cute white lion cub meets the world

This little fellow caught his first glimpse of the wide world this week when he and his brother and sister were introduced to the public for the first time at a zoo in France.

These beautiful little bundles of fluff are rare white lions born in Pont-Scorff zoo in the west of France on 23 February.

FRED TANNEAU/AFP/Getty Images

They tumbled out to meet visitors with their mother Swelika on Wednesday 17 April and delighted the crowds as they played in the grass and explored their surroundings.

This is Swelika's second litter of cubs after she gave birth to four young in 2011.

Their white coats and blue eyes are the result of a recessive gene found in their parents.

White lions originate from the Timbavati region bordering South Africa's Kruger National Park.

They are extremely rare and poaching and hunting has severely decreased their numbers. The Global White Lion Protection Trust estimates that they are on the brink of extinction in the wild.

Watch this cute video of the cubs emerging into their enclosure for the first time. Have they stolen your heart? Let us know below.

Bébés lion blancs 2013 au Zoo de Pont-Scorffby zoodepontscorff


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