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Madeleine McCall

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They’re not albino or their own separate species, as many people think. White tigers occur when two Bengal tigers that carry a recessive gene controlling coat color are bred together.

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White Tigers are an apex predator. The few white tigers that live in the wild, primarily hunt large animals like wild boar, cattle, goats, deer, etc. They can eat up to 40 pounds (18 kg) of meat at a time and will hunt again a few days after feasting. White Tigers will also eat fish, rabbits, and small rodents when larger prey are scarce. They ambush their prey and attack them by surprise.

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White tigers, while incredibly beautiful and popular, are clouded with controversy over the inbreeding required to produce the cat’s rare appearance. Inbreeding animals reduces genetic diversity. Inbred big cats die earlier and find it harder to reproduce; their cubs are less likely to survive into adulthood; and the suffer from medical issues. Many zoos continue to inbreed these creatures, solely for the increase in tourism/income.

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At the moment, almost all white tigers are held in captivity. The last white tiger was captured in the wild was in the 1950's. When white tigers were found  in the wild, they used to live in the same habitat as orange Bengal tigers.

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Since the last white tiger was caught and put into captivity, all white tigers have been inbred. By inbreeding the father to daughter and granddaughter and so on. The reason for this is to retain the recessive gene that controls the fur. Of course,, when it comes to inbreeding, there are some genetic consequences. Such as: down syndrome, cleft palates, scoliosis of the spine, mental impairments, crossed eyes.

(the picture below is a white tiger with down syndrome)

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Ever since I was little, I have been fascinated with White Tigers. But back then I had only seen the pictures of White Tigers without genetic issues. About a year ago I found out they were being inbred and that it affected their health tremendously. Most zoos who hold White Tigers in captivity could care less about their health. They only care about the income/tourism that White Tigers bring in.

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Many people believe that the only way to help White Tigers is to get rid of them and/or drive them into extinction. One way to do this is to stop giving zoos/companies their reasons to continue inbreeding White Tigers by not going to said zoo and/or the White Tiger exhibit.

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Inbreeding: breed from closely related people or animals, especially over many generations.

"persistent inbreeding has produced an unusually high frequency of sufferers from this disease"

Albino: a person or animal having a congenital absence of pigment in the skin and hair (which are white) and the eyes (which are usually pink).

Captivity: the condition of being imprisoned or confined.

Down Syndrome: a congenital disorder arising from a chromosome defect, causing intellectual impairment and physical abnormalities including short stature and a broad facial profile. It arises from a defect involving chromosome 21, usually an extra copy (trisomy-21).

Cleft Palate: a congenital split in the roof of the mouth.

Scoliosis: abnormal lateral curvature of the spine.

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White tigers, while incredibly beautiful and popular, are clouded with controversy over the inbreeding required to produce the cat's rare appearance.

Earlier this week the ABC ran a story on the arrival of two white tiger cubs at Dreamworld theme park on the Gold Coast which are tipped to attract many tourists.

The story received significant backlash from the audience, many criticising the way the cubs were presented as tourist attractions, without mention of the breeding practices required to produce their rare colour morph.

White tigers are not a species. They are the result of a recessive gene. Breeding white tigers involves inbreeding individuals and often results in terrible genetics problems. It is a cruel myth perpetuated by a cynical grab for the green dollar and the entertainment dollar. Please don't perpetuate this myth ABC!

- Louise Halloran

No - this an embarrassment & comparable to a circus sideshow! White tigers are not natural & many are born with defects - sad.

- Sera Arnold

While they are beautiful, nowhere in this article does it say what subspecies of tiger they are. They are a colour morph animal only and will likely never make a difference to wild populations. They're just another tourist attraction. I hope that at least Dreamworld keeps some sort of sponsor wild tiger program going.

- Joshua Prieto

As a result, the ABC decided to talk to the experts and get the facts straight on the genetics and continued breeding of white tigers.

White tigers are not a species in their own right, as many people think. White tigers are created after the breeding of two Bengal tigers with a recessive gene which controls coat colour.

White tigers were seen in the wild and documented in Indian literature dating back to the 15th century.

However many people are most familiar with the white tiger named Mohan who was born in 1951, captured, bred with an orange female and then bred with his daughter, thus producing a litter of white tigers.

There are no white tigers left in the wild, the last one being shot by a trophy hunter in 1958.

A 'barbaric practice' for beauty

Executive director of Wildcat Sanctuary Tammy Thies confirmed white tigers exist in captivity only through continual inbreeding.

A white tiger with a facial deformity. These "throw-away" cats are never displayed in zoos.(Big Cat Rescue)

"They are all ancestors from one white tiger, it is a terrible practice because they are bred for their beauty but nobody cares what that means for them health-wise," she said.

"A mother tiger might be bred with one of her sons and in doing so they are trying to increase the chances of a recessive gene and her litter being mostly white."

Ms Thies called the inbreeding of white tigers a "barbaric practice" used "just so the public can ooh and ahh" without taking into account the genetic defects imposed on the tigers.

"Beauty isn't at the price of a cat living in a cage with health issues for life," she said.

According to the US Association of Zoos & Aquariums (AZA), such defects include visual impairments which mean tigers are constantly cross-eyed, sensitivity to light, heart abnormalities, defects to skull development and a lower life expectancy.

In 2011 the AZA officially banned the breeding of white tigers (as well as white lions and king cheetahs) by their member zoos.

The association said the intentional inbreeding to achieve rare colour-morphs created a "confusing educational message", caused rapid depletion of the normal genetic variation and "subjected some animals to poor welfare and health".

'No conservation purpose'

Since the ban, Ms Thies says reputable zoos have stopped breeding and exhibiting white tigers, however roadside zoos continue to breed white tigers.

Many wildlife sanctuaries such as Wildcat are often inundated with surplus white tigers which means resources are taken from away from wild tiger conservation efforts.

Possible deformities from inbreeding:

Visual impairments, resulting in tigers being cross-eyed

Heart abnormalities (vascular ring anomalies around the trachea and oesophagus)

Abnormal cranial structures and skull development

'Bulldog faces' - snubbed noses, jutting jaw, wide-set eyes

Only one in four cubs will be born white and of those, 80 per cent will be still-born, according to Big Cat Rescue.

"Often 30 to 60 cats must be destroyed in order to get one profitable white tiger cub," the sanctuary said.

Big Cat Rescue refuses to take in surplus white tigers however, as they do not want to enable the disposal of "defective" cats and cause more abuse by having an easy "dumping ground."

Dr Ron Tilson, renowned conservationist and tiger expert, described the white tiger controversy as "small part ethics and large part economics".

"The tiger Species Survival Plan has condemned breeding white tigers because of their mixed ancestry, most have been hybridised with other subspecies and are of unknown lineage, and because they serve no conservation purpose," he said.

"Owners of white tigers say they are popular exhibit animals and increase zoo attendance and revenues as well.

"For private owners to say 'we're saving tigers', is a lie. They are not saving tigers; they're breeding them for profit."

Dreamworld responds

Dreamworld did not respond to questions from ABC on inbreeding, genetic defects or how their two new white tiger cubs were bred.

Instead Dreamworld said: "White tigers are special not because they are white, but because they are tigers.

"Our new white cubs are part of the next generation for Tiger Island, helping to secure the future of this facility and continue our significant financial contributions to tiger conservation."

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White tigers 'inbred for beauty and tourism dollars'

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White tigers, while incredibly beautiful and popular, are clouded with controversy over the inbreeding required to produce the cat's rare appearance. Earlier this week the ABC ran a story on the arrival of two white tiger cubs at Dreamworld theme park on the Gold Coast which are tipped to attract many tourists.

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A white tiger is a Bengal tiger - it is not a species or sub-species of tiger as some people think. It has a creamy white coat, blue eyes and gray or brown-colored stripes. Pretty beautiful!

Like all Bengal tigers they used to live in the wild in Asia, particularly in countries like India. Now though, they live in captivity, which helps keep them protected.

White Tiger Facts:

White tigers can weigh up to around 570 pounds, which is a little more than the weight of two giant pandas.

They can grow to be more than ten feet long.

They like living in forests and grassy areas, and their stripes help give them some camouflage!

White tigers are white due to their genes, or their genetics. Maybe you can ask your teacher what this means, but really it's all about the characteristics you inherit from your parents and family.

The face of a white tiger is similar to that of any other Bengal tiger. They are only different when it comes to their color. The fur on their face is white, meaning you can easily tell them apart from other Bengal tigers.

A white tiger also has very intriguing eyes - they are sapphire blue which combined with their white coat, makes them look very attractive and fascinating.

White male tigers weigh approximately 190 to 260 kg (420 to 570 pounds). You sure wouldn't be able to lift them very easily, even if you did get close to one!

They can run quite fast - around 60 miles per hour. Can you run that fast?

White tigers live from around 10-20 years.

Now, why not explore some more fun animal facts?

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A white tiger is a Bengal tiger - it is not a species or sub-species of tiger as some people think. It has a creamy white coat, blue eyes and gray or brown-colored stripes. Pretty beautiful! Like all Bengal tigers they used to live in the wild in Asia, particularly in countries like India.

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All White Tigers Are Inbred and are Not Purebred

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All White Tigers Are Inbred and are Not Purebred

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( go back to The Animals)

The White Tiger is a tiger with a genetic condition that nearly eliminates pigment in the normally orange fur although they still have dark stripes. The unusual coloration of white tigers has made them popular in zoos and entertainment that showcase exotic animals. Hunting and deforestation have reduced tiger populations from hundreds of thousands to fewer than 2500, with three out of eight subspecies becoming extinct during the 20th century. All five remaining tiger subspecies are endangered. The largest member of the cat family known for their power and strength they are often hunted as trophies and their body parts sold for use in traditional Chinese medicine. Bengal Tigers, the most common, live in India. Loners in the wild, Bengal Tigers are nocturnal hunters living off buffalo, deer, wild pigs, and other large mammals. Females give birth to litters of two to six cubs which they raise with little or no help from the male. Cubs cannot hunt until about 18 months old so they live with their mothers until that time when they disperse and find their own territory.

White (Bengal) Tiger - Fast Facts

Type: Mammal
Diet: Carnivore
Average lifespan in the wild: 8 to 10 years
Size: Head and body, 5 to 6 ft (1.5 to 1.8 m); Tail, 2 to 3 ft (0.6 to 0.9 m)
Weight: 240 to 500 lbs (109 to 227 kg)
Did you know? A tiger's roar can be heard as far as two miles (three kilometers) away.
Status: ENDANGERED

Buy an Eye and help save the White (Bengal) Tiger.

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saving wildlife together - saving the white tiger

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Saving Wildlife Together - Saving the White Tiger - Eye Help Animals, LLC supports wildlife conservation

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( go back to The Animals) The White Tiger is a tiger with a genetic condition that nearly eliminates pigment in the normally orange fur although they still have dark stripes. The unusual coloration of white tigers has made them popular in zoos and entertainment that showcase exotic animals.

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White tigers have been gaining popularity with breeders, exhibitors, and facilities claiming sanctuary status largely in part to their ghostly white coloration and sapphire blue eyes. The white tiger has become so popular that many people believe it to be a separate subspecies altogether which has led to the assumption that since the orange and black tiger is critically endangered, surely, the white tiger is in even more danger of extinction. However, this is all false. Unfortunately, breeders and exhibitors use this assumption as an excuse to breed them to "protect them from extinction". This is a lie. In reality, white tigers are being bred to make money (a white tiger cub can sell for as much as $60,000.00) and not as a part of any species survival plan. The continued breeding leads, not only to more tigers with health problems but also an excess of orange and black tigers still being born with these litters. The white tiger is not a separate subspecies and therefore not in danger of extinction, they do not live anywhere on the globe where their white coloration would help them survive, they do not have a native habitat, they are severely inbred and therefore have severe health problems, and they are cross-bred.

The inbreeding of white tigers began in 1951 when a white tiger named Mohan was removed from the wild and bred back to his daughters and grand-daughters. For a long time it was believed that all white tigers descended from Mohan but it was discovered that another source of white tigers came from a cross between a Bengal and Siberian that took place in 1976. It is now believed that white tigers in the U.S. now have descended from the cross breeding. So now, not only are these white tigers severely inbred they are also cross-bred.

What people call the snow tiger or the royal white tiger are not true species. They are in fact caused by a very rare genetic mutation that is termed Leucism. This mutation prevents the pigment from coloring the skin and fur which is why we see white fur, chocolate stripes, blue eyes, and a pink nose. This mutation is so rare that it is estimated that only one in every 10,000 tigers born in the wild is white. Due to this mutation robbing them of their camouflage, white tigers in the wild rarely survive long enough to pass on their genes. Therefore, white tigers are only found in captivity. In captivity the prevalence of this mutation is increased through inbreeding brother to sister or father to daughter for multiple generations. This inbreeding leads to several severe health problems in white tigers and sometimes even in the orange and black cubs in the same litter. These health problems are generally kept a secret from the public and can include spinal deformities, cleft palates, club feet, mental impairments, defective organs, immune deficiencies, hip dysplasia, and bulging eyes. Also, the gene that is responsible for the white coloration causes the optic nerve to be connected to the wrong side of the brain which means that all white tigers are cross-eyed even if their eyes look normal. Because this gene is so rare and there are so many birth defects, the death rate of white tiger cubs is astonishingly high. When an orange and white tiger are bred, only 1 in 4 cubs are born white and of those 80% die from birth defects. Only 1 in 30 of the surviving white cubs will be suitable for display. So what happens to the excess orange and black cubs and the white cubs not suitable for display? The white cubs rarely end up in accredited facilities but end up being killed or sold to neglectful facilities. The outcomes for the orange and black cubs are not much better. Most end up being sold into the pet trade, becoming victims of canned hunts, or being killed and sold for parts in the Asian markets.

Today sanctuaries are working very hard to educate the public about the horrors surrounding the breeding of white tigers but it is hard for the public to believe all these horrible and sad stories. Always remember that when you are looking at a white tiger what caused that white tiger and the health problems that it could currently be suffering. Also, don't forget how many white tiger cubs it took to get one normal looking one and the fate of that one's litter mates.

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White tigers have been gaining popularity with breeders, exhibitors, and facilities claiming sanctuary status largely in part to their ghostly white coloration and sapphire blue eyes. The white tiger has become so popular that many people believe it to be a separate subspecies altogether which has led to the assumption that since the orange and black tiger is critically endangered, surely, the white tiger is in even more danger of extinction.