Notice! This article contains spoilers for Mufasa: The Lion King!
Mufasa: The Lion King introduces a new group of villainous white lions. Those "Strangers”, as they are called in the previous Disney film, pose a serious threat to the various prides of lions in the valley. It is because of them that Mufasa and Taka must begin their journey, and with these white lion Outsiders that the final confrontation of Mufasa: The Lion King it happens. They certainly make intriguing villains, but white lions are not a Disney invention. This new Lion King The film was inspired by real groups of mutant lions that were found in South Africa generations ago.
2024 Mufasa: The Lion King serves as a sequel and prequel in one, as it sees Rafiki tell Simba and Nala's daughter Kiara the story of how Mufasa became king. A significant revelation from the beginning of the film is that Mufasa was not born with royal blood. He was an ordinary lion who got separated from his parents and ended up being accepted by a new pride. However, Mufasa's adoptive family was tormented by a group of strangers who sought to eliminate the lion kings of the valley until their leader, Kiros, was the last survivor.
The Strangers in The Lion King Explained
Who are the strangers?
The Outsiders of Mufasa: The Lion King It is a pride of all white lions. They are larger than typical South African lions and often more vicious. Rafiki finally explains that not all of these white lions were born from this single pride. Instead of, they were born to typical brown lions and were kicked out due to their differences - their white fur. Over the years, these rejected lions banded together to form a single pride led by King Kiros. Rafiki explained that being rejected and unloved for their original pride caused terrible anger in these white lions, leading to their desire for revenge.
The white lion pride of Kiros has become a legend among the other prides of the Valley of the Kings. Taka's father, Obasi, had not seen them before, but was very afraid"Strangers"who could break through and destroy a gang. For this reason, Obasi feared Mufasa. However, Taka's father finally discovered who the real Renegades were when they attacked and shattered his pride in Mufasa: The Lion King.
Why were the outsiders hunting Mufasa and Taka
While Mufasa and his adoptive mother, Eshe, were hunting, they were attacked by two male outsiders. Mufasa killed one of them, while the other was injured and returned to his pride to report to Kiros. It is finally revealed that the lion that Mufasa killed was Kiros' son and heir to his pride. To get revenge, Kiros led an attack on Obasi's pride. However, before the white lions appeared, Obasi sent Mufasa and Taka away. Since Mufasa was responsible for the death of Kiros' son, and Taka was Obasi's heir, the Outsider lions chased the two lions to Milele.
Are White Lions real?
White lions are a naturally occurring mutation
Mufasa: The Lion King naturally took some creative liberties with the dynamics of South Africa's lion prides, but Disney didn't entirely invent white lions. According to the Global White Lion Protection Trustthese animals are native to the Kruger-to-Canyons biosphere region in South Africa. The first recorded sighting of White Lions in this area dates back to 1938, but oral records indicate that they have lived and bred there for several centuries. Over the years, White Lions have been heavily targeted by hunters, so their numbers have declined, although the efforts of activists have seen their population increase.
As in Mufasa: The Lion KingWhite Lions are born among the general tawney population. They do not have albinism. Instead, the White Lions' unique coloration results from a specific genetic mutation, the specifics of which were only identified in 2013. It was believed, for a time, that White Lions had become extinct, but they began to reappear in Kruger-to -Canyon. Biosphere Region in 2006, further proving that the gene responsible for these lions continues to be naturally carried by lions in this specific location on the globe. Since this is where The Lion King is set, it makes sense for the White Lions to come into the game.
How White Lions Are Different From Regular Lions
White lions are only different in appearance
In Mufasa: The Lion KingWhite Lions are larger and more powerful than standard tawney lions. However, this is not the case in real life. In addition to its coloring, White Lions share very few differences from their general population. White Lions can range from a blonder color to an almost pure white, and their overall color is called "leucism." Unlike albino animals, White Lions are not prone to any other genetic difficulties. Their eyesight is typical, and other than being a more significant target among human trophy hunters, White Lions have no survival disadvantages.
It used to be believed that White Lions could not survive in the wild due to the disadvantages of hunting. It was believed that their skin made camouflage difficult. However, a study carried out by the Global White Lion Protection Trust over 10 years found that White Lions are equally effective hunters like their Tawney equivalents in free movement areas. There is also no real-world evidence that White Lions face any kind of ostracism from tawney prides, as they do in Mufasa: The Lion King. Furthermore, there are no records of prides of White Lions in South Africa.
White lions in the world today
White lions are now all over the world
Image via Disney
Today, White Lions are still observed and hunted in the wild in South Africa, where they are considered of least concern by the Convention for International Trade in Endangered Species. This is a status that is being fought by the Global White Lion Protection Trust, which seeks to protect these uniquely colored beings. In an effort to ensure the continued survival of the White Lions, a breeding program has been established in the Inkwenkwezi Private Game Reservewhere they cannot be hunted.
Additionally, there are White Lions in captivity in several zoos. The Toronto Zoo welcomed three White Lions in 2012, and through them, four more White Lions were born at the zoo in 2015. Siegfried & Roy famously owned two White Lions at the Cincinnati Zoo until the last one died in 2022. As well as several others in North and South America, White Lions are kept in captivity on almost every continent. So although they can no longer persist in Simba's Pride Lands after Mufasa: The Lion KingWhite Lions continue to thrive around the world.