Hollywood Good

At just two weeks old, Lilly the white lion cub lives the life of a princess.

Born on February 8 at the Mystic Monkeys & Feathers Wildlife Park in Rust de Winter, she is the sole cub of the third litter of the pride of Alex and Sahara.

Creamy white, Lilly dozes most of the day on a shaded pile of cushions.
Every two hours she is woken and fed. Still toothless, her diet consists of an imported milk product.
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When she has had her fill, she deigns to make a public appearance to her admiring hordes. Lilly ambles across the grass ever so inelegantly to the collective "oohs" and "aahs", grunting like a hippo and relieving herself when rubbed on the belly. Perhaps not quite so much like a princess, after all, but the public still adore her.

"Some people go crazy," says park owner Christa Saayman.
But what she lacks in elegance, Lilly makes up for in rarity. White lions are classified as a vulnerable species.

But with her blue blood come duties to fulfil. Lilly is destined for an arranged marriage. "What we would normally do is get a mate for her from a different bloodline and then breed them," explained Saayman.
But for now Lilly lies on the grass, her lip covered in cream and her belly full.