White Lions are not a separate subspecies and they have never been common in the wild. The White Lion is a rare color mutation of the Kruger subspecies of lion (Panthera leo krugeri), a rare species of lion only to be found in a 200 square mile area called Timbavati. Why this condition occurs amongst lions only in the Timbavati area is unclear but even today Kruger Park rangers spot the occasional solitary White Lion - a rare event though as they are practically extinct in the wild and there are no more than 70 in the world today.