Two white lion cubs born at Maracay's Las Delicias Zoo

The Las Delicias Zoo in Maracay, Venezuela, has welcomed two white lion cubs, a significant event for the facility's breeding program. Governor Joana Sánchez announced the successful birth, confirming the healthy condition of the cubs and their mother, Camatagua.

These cubs are descendants of Camatagua, one of the zoo's resident felines. The mother and her newborns are under close observation by the zoo's veterinary team. To ensure a smooth adaptation process, a specialized area has been prepared to allow the lioness and her cubs privacy during the crucial nursing period.

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The cubs are descendants of Camatagua, one of the park's felines.

Camatagua and her mate, Sebastián, arrived in Venezuela in May 2022. They were rescued from a wildlife trafficking network in Europe. White lions, known for their Timbavati subspecies origin, possess a genetic condition called leucism, a recessive gene causing partial loss of fur pigmentation, distinct from albinism.

The birth represents a hopeful step for the Maracay zoo's white lion breeding initiative. In December 2025, the facility experienced the loss of a white lion cub due to health complications and organ failure in its early weeks. In response to that past tragedy, the zoo's specialists and caretakers have implemented enhanced measures and preventive isolation protocols during this recent gestation to safeguard the survival and development of the two new cubs.

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Both the mother and the cubs remain under the monitoring of the enclosure's team of veterinarians.