Baby White Lion Cub Triplets Born In Argentina (PHOTOS/VIDEO)

BUENOS AIRES, Argentina (AP) — Zookeepers in Buenos Aires showed off triplets Wednesday – three white cubs born to a pair of white lions imported from South Africa.

Zoo officials say the two females and a male were born Nov. 16 and are the first white lions to be born in South America. Children who visit the zoo this Argentine summer can take part in a contest to name them.

"We're very proud. There aren't many white lions born in zoos," veterinarian Miguel Rivolta told AP Television News.

Since both parents are white, their cubs each have the recessive genes that make them pure white, he explained.

Zoo visitors were loving their debut on Wednesday. The cubs' mother, not so much. She growled at the crowd and carried one of the cubs off in her mouth.

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Three white lion cubs are presented to the public for the first time at the city zoo in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Wednesday Jan. 5, 2011. The cubs were born on Nov. 16, 2010. According to zoo officials these are the first white lions to be born in South America. (AP Photo/Eduardo Di Baia)

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Three white lion cubs are presented to the public for the first time at the city zoo in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Wednesday Jan. 5, 2011. The cubs were born on Nov. 16, 2010. According to zoo officials these are the first white lions to be born in South America. (AP Photo/Eduardo Di Baia)

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These Lions

Rank #2  |  Average: 4

Scarier Than Scar Clearly The Cutest Cubs!

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Comments

[Fi]

06:56 AM on 01/10/2011

Pussycats!
Adorable.

[dan457]

08:00 AM on 01/09/2011

Breeding white lions started with apartheid South Africa. They are supposed to be the symbol of white dominance in Africa and will be used to replace the ordinary black and brown lions. After seeing enough of these in controlled safari parks people will think this is normal but it is not. They cannot survive without humans feeding them as they are spotted easily day or night. No white cub had ever made it to maturity in the wild. They are killed by predators. Black and brown blends in naturally with their environment.

A few lions were first seen in the wild with white spots and were bred to isolate the gene. They are also being bred in many zoos across Europe and will soon outnumber lions in the wild. Aren’t all lion cubs cute and cuddly or is it just the white ones.

[huffpostreader10000]

05:34 AM on 01/07/2011

They don't exist for our entertainment purposes.
Zoos should do away with displaying animals. They should only function for breeding purposes of endangered species or to care for weak/sick animals who would otherwise die in the wild. They could open a small viewing area for the public now and then, but that should NOT be their main purpose.
Imagine putting up for display humans from a rare tribe from the amazon jungle.

[anastomosis]

02:15 AM on 01/07/2011

Their treatment by the staff was unprofessional, to put it mildly.

[zippitydoo]

01:02 AM on 01/07/2011

purrrrrrr.....purrrrrrrr.....purrrrrr......

[outdoors]

11:15 PM on 01/06/2011

So everybody loves 3 animals born from 2 animlas in a zoo right? Oddities normally do not last long in the wild.

[Katco]

11:11 PM on 01/06/2011

This is horrifying! No time for jokes, I want some answers!

[Katco]

11:12 PM on 01/06/2011

I apologize folks... wrong thread. Thought I was on the birds in Italy!

[timelord999]

10:11 PM on 01/06/2011

OK all kidding aside take a look at this http://science.howstuffworks.com/environmental/earth/geophysics/question782.htm

[Vanessa Belle]

08:54 PM on 01/06/2011

So sweet and cute.

[RedNinjaGirl]

07:41 PM on 01/06/2011

They look really sad. I didn't enjoy looking at these photos.

[yannb]

05:26 PM on 01/06/2011

Let's hope they won't end up in some sordid Las Vegas show dancing with a pink tutu, parading next to two face-lifted German guys.

[dblan9]

09:21 PM on 01/06/2011

Too late.

[Edy Williams]

05:01 PM on 01/06/2011

this is so precious & wonderful,I hope the world may see this Joy as a poster,greeting cards!Thank you for sharing this beautiful sight in a difficult world!

[Nuyorican21]

04:47 PM on 01/06/2011

Ummm.....they can't be triplets unless they are genetically identical. Its called birthing a litter, cats do this all the time.

[streetmagik]

04:40 PM on 01/06/2011

I want one! though momma looks a little hard core

[lisakaz2]

04:17 PM on 01/06/2011

Awwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww. I propose that Reethuglican pols get bombarded with these to see if it makes 'em less mean.