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Daejeon's beloved white lion cub dies at 7 months from rare skeletal disorder
Bomunyi, a 7-month-old white lion cub at Daejeon Aquarium / Courtesy of Daejeon Aquarium
By Park Ung
Bomunyi, a 7-month-old white lion cub at Daejeon Aquarium, died earlier this month from a rare congenital skeletal disorder, according to the Daejeon Metropolitan City on Friday.
The cub, a female born in August last year to white lions Leo and Remi, was introduced to the public in November and quickly drew widespread affection from visitors. In recent weeks, however, speculation circulated on social media that she had gone missing or died.
“As she grew and gained weight, her joints, weakened by the rare disease, could no longer keep up, and her condition gradually worsened," said an official at Daejeon Aquarium, a freshwater aquarium with small indoor animal facilities. “We held out hope that she could overcome the disease as a wild animal and tried many things, but her condition deteriorated sharply last month and she ultimately did not survive.”
White lions are a genetic rarity originating from the Timbavati region of South Africa. After her mother, Remi, failed to care for her after birth, Bomunyi was taken care of by zookeepers.
Bomunyi, a 7-month-old white lion cub at Daejeon Aquarium in 2025 / Captured from Daejeon Aquarium's Instagram
Established in 2015, the Daejeon Aquarium has faced accusations from a local environmental advocacy group of conducting "unethical" activities involving animals.
“Trainers strike the crocodiles' faces with sticks, spray them with water to force their mouths open and drag them by the tail to steer their movements, all for the amusement of visitors,” GreenDaejeon said in a January statement. The group also noted that a young lion cub and a puppy had been displayed together at the facility, despite being natural predator and prey species.
It also criticized the aquarium for allowing visitors to feed lions, Bengal tigers and Asiatic black bears, saying such entertainment-focused feeding causes unnecessary stress and may run counter to zoo and aquarium welfare rules.