White tigers are unusual and very beautiful, so they are very popular among animal lovers. In zoos, they become a favorite object for visiting, and photographs of white tigers adorn many houses. However, the zoologists divided in their opinion of the white tigers into two diametrically opposite camps. Some believe that white tigers are genetic freaks and show them to nothing, and only to breed – even more so.
Other zoologists believe that white tigers, as a phenomenon of nature, can also not be rejected, especially since people like white tigers very much, and it is to white tigers that people go to zoos, thereby supporting not only these unusual cats, but also other animals . However, for most people the opinion of zoologists is indifferent – white tigers are already an important component of human life and even national heritage of some countries of the world. Many believe that such an unusual coloring will not give white tigers the right to survive in nature, but this is not so.
White tigers have long existed in the wild and perfectly survive. Another thing is that they are rare for people, because people immediately start shooting a white tiger to get a trophy in the form of his unusual skin. In India, white tigers are shot very often – especially in the late 19th century – in the early twenties their shooting was common.
And the dead tigers were already grown-up, healthy and well-fed, so they perfectly survived in the jungle and were good hunters. It is not clear why, but white cubs develop faster than their red brothers and adults are larger and stronger than red tigers. And also more agile and quick. Many killed white tigers were put on display in Calcutta, other stuffed pop private collections and museums of the world. Today, white tigers in nature no longer meet – they all live in zoos.
White tigers are described in Indian literature, dating back to the 15th century. A white tiger is prized for its beauty, several such tigers were taken prisoner for breeding. But people are best acquainted with one white tiger named Mohan. He was born in 1951, he was left an orphan when those who discovered him and captured him in India shot his mother and three orange brothers and sisters.
When Mohan grew up, he lived in the courtyard of the Maharaja, how many did not try to cross it with orange lionesses – always turned orange cubs. He had such three litters tigers. However, some cubs inherited from their father a recessive gene.
Then Mohana crossed with Radha Mohan – his daughter from the second litter. And there are four white tigers – one male Raja, and three females, Rani, Mohini and Tsukeshi. This was the first time that white tigers were born in captivity.
Further, white tigers began to breed more, and soon there were so many that it was very difficult to keep them in the palace. And several white tigers were sold to the zoo in America.
Next – to the zoos of the UK and now they are already in the Moscow zoo. Mohan is considered to be the last white tiger that was born in the wild. But this tiger died December 19, 1969 and was solemnly buried in India, in addition, the day of Mohan’s death was declared an official mourning.
Since it is known that white tigers began to get divorced from crossing between relatives (inbreeding), now many white tigers have anomalies of development. Basically, this is a malfunction of the immune system, strabismus, kidney problems, allergies. And, note, these anomalies are by no means connected with the white color of these animals. However, now there are white tigers in almost every zoo in the world and gradually the need for their inbreeding disappears.
