The lion queen's nippers push their luck on their first public appearance

Just to show her boisterous offspring who's boss, of course.

That moment came for white lion Natasha after spending the morning letting her newborn cubs walk all over her at the West Midlands Safari Park.

Tiring business: Lioness Natasha yawns after tending to her white lion cubs Star and Haze

One of her lively two took a mischievous nip too many and was left in no doubt about his mother's feelings. The cubs, Star and Haze, were born in April. But within a month, another lioness at the park, Maryn, gave birth to another four - Neptune, Ariel, Oberon and Ophelia.

So much for the legend that white lions only come along once in 100 years. In fact the six fluffy cubs have joined Britain's only pride of the incredibly rare animals, which sport the purest of pale fur.

According to African folklore, white lion cubs are a lucky charm born just once every 100 years.

Ouch! I felt that: Natasha yelps at a nip from her cub

But staff were amazed when two lionesses gave birth within just a month of each other.

And the adorable brood are proving to be a handful, as they left the lion house to venture out in public for the first time yesterday.

Bob Lawrence, head warden at the park near Bewdley, Worcestershire, said: 'They are the only ones in the UK. It is really special to have them here.'

At one point after keeping Mum on her toes - she lets out a massive wearied yawn.

Breeders were delighted when Natasha gave birth to male cubs Star and Haze, in early April.

The latest arrivals - three males and one female named Neptune, Ariel, Oberon and Ophelia - were born to another mother, Maryn, just four weeks later.

Wendy Jackson, the park's spokeswoman, said the new arrivals were 'very playful'. She said: 'They went out today for the first time and they are just like large kittens, padding about and getting braver and braver by the second. They walk in a row and follow each other, which is really comical.

Playtime and me-time: Cubs enjoy some rough and tumble ...

Mrs Jackson said the cubs' mothers, who had been rearing their young away from the rest of the pride, were watching their every step.

As the mischievous cubs had their first outing playing on the open plains of the park, hundreds of families queued for a glimpse of them.

The pride, which started out as just four animals back in 2004, now numbers 19.

White lions are not albino, in fact their shocking pale fur is down to a rare genetic mutation found only in a 200-square-mile area of South African bushland called Timbavati. 

... and then snuggle up to mum after a hard day's play

Because the gene which causes their light colour is recessive, it only manifests itself when two lions carrying it are mated together.

At the last count in 2004, there were said to be just 300 white lions left in the world, all in breeding zoos.

They have been extinct in the wild for 12 years, as their colour means they are highly visible in the wild - making it difficult to stalk their prey, and leaving them vulnerable to hunters who see them as a trophy.

A trio of white cubs born at a zoo in Hamburg, Germany, earlier this month are being bottle-fed by keepers after being rejected by their mother.

For the cameras: All six cubs and wardens