The bond between Bertie and the white lion never fades despite years of separation. Love persists across time and distance.
The white lion is caught, sold and caged in a circus. Bertie's life's work is to free him. Morpurgo presents wildness and freedom as fundamental to the lion's dignity.
The butterfly lion — white butterflies forming the shape of a lion on a hillside — is one of the most beautiful images in Morpurgo's work. It suggests that love and beauty persist beyond death.