The truth about white tigers
White tigers are falsely marketed as a highly endangered species. White tigers are not a separate subspecies of tiger. White tigers in captivity exist due to inbreeding. Inbred tigers are unhealthy tigers. These animals are often bred for cash, not conservation.

Why is the white tiger so rare?

The white tiger is produced by a genetic fluke that occurs when two orange tigers with rare recessive forms of a gene, called alleles, happen to breed. White tigers are so rare in the wild that they have been seen only a few times in recorded history, with the last known wild white tiger killed in 1958.

How many white tigers are left in the world?

There are only around 200 white tigers left in the world, according to the Indian Tiger Welfare Society.

What are white tigers known for?

White tigers are scientifically known as Panthera tigris tigris, born because of a rare genetic mutation. A white tiger can only be achieved if two Bengal tigers carry the recessive gene for white coloring. White tigers are a result of inbreeding, particularly between a male tiger and his offspring.

Do white tigers have blue eyes?

White Tigers are not Albinos, they have blue eyes and fur coloring that can be creamy to white. As with all tigers, if you were to shave them, they have stripes on their skin.

Was there ever a black tiger?

In July 2014, a 5 year old white tigress of Nandankanan Zoological Park in Bhubaneswar, Odisha gave birth to four cubs and of these one was black (pseudo melanistic). This was the first instance of birth of a black tiger in captivity in India and second recorded instance internationally.

Are white tigers cross eyed?

Defects. Outside of India, inbred white tigers have been prone to crossed eyes, a condition known as strabismus, due to incorrectly routed visual pathways in the brains of white tigers. When stressed or confused, all white tigers cross their eyes.

Are Blue Tigers real?

Blue Tigers

The rarest of the colors might just be the Maltese Tiger. If these tigers still exist, their coats are slate gray with dark gray or black stripes and have a bluish cast. Currently there are no blue tigers in zoos. One blue tiger was born in an Oklahoma zoo in the 1960s.

Are white tigers friendly?

Are white tigers friendly animals? You can expect white tigers to show friendly traits as well. But as is the case for every tiger species, white tigers can also lash out whenever their instincts tell them to do so. So, always expect white tigers to be unfriendly to not get in any unexpected situations.

How much does a baby white tiger cost?

White tiger cubs sell for $5,000 each. Since tigers can have two litters a year of eight cubs, a breeder can earn $80,000 a year. Many of these white tiger cubs are sold to small businesses that travel around the country displaying them as props and charging tourists to take pictures with them.

Are snow tigers real?

Snow tigers are not a species of tiger but are actually white Bengal tigers, a species of tiger in India that is born without pheomelanin, which, as we learned, is a pigment (color) that would give them the typical orange or golden coloring. White tigers have snow-colored fur and dark stripes.

Do white tigers live in the snow?

The white coat also doubles as a camouflage which enables the tiger to hide in snowy regions. For this reason, they are typically found in locations where snow is common year-round, which explains their common occurrences in Siberia and the colder regions of India and China.

Why do white tigers have blue eyes?

Most tigers have yellow eyes, but white tigers usually have blue eyes, due to the gene for blue eyes being linked to the gene for white fur. The gene for being cross-eyed, or boss-eyed, is also linked, so many white tigers have crossed blue eyes.

How fast can white tigers run?

A White Tiger can travel at speeds of up to 60 miles per hour.

What is a white tigers favorite food?

White tigers are generally solitary animals that hunt alone, mostly at night. In the wild, tigers will eat pig, cattle and deer. They can eat as much as 40 pounds of meat at one time! After such a big meal a tiger will not eat again for several days.

What are baby white tigers called?

A baby white tiger is called a cub.

How is a white tiger born?

The white tiger is a result of a genetic mutation and the most efficient way to breed them is by using two tigers who have the recessive alleles needed to produce offspring with a white coat. In captive breeding facilities these two individuals are often related, making inbreeding common.