According to indigenous beliefs, the arrival of white lions in the Timbavati region is not a coincidence but a divine consequence. The Timbavati area, in the north-east of South Africa, is exactly aligned with the Nile meridian (31°East), also known as First Time or Zep Tepi meridian, in other words the meridian where life appeared on earth. It is on the Nile meridian that the Sphinx, emblematic of ancient Egypt, is erected. The Sphinx represents the fusion of man and lion, two creatures presiding over the food chain and therefore responsible for regulating the natural order of life.