If in the litter of any animal a baby with a white color suddenly appears, then it is usually a question of albino. This creature, the skin of which has practically no pigment, because of which its coat turns white and its eyes turn red due to the vessels shining through the colorless iris. But we will talk about an amazing natural phenomenon called the “Bengal White Tiger”. This is not an albino. Brown stripes adorn his snow-white coat, and his eyes are blue.
White tigers are a rare natural occurrence.
The appearance of a white tiger is a mutation that manifests itself in one individual per 10, 000 ordinary, having a red color (by the way, it appears only in Bengal tigers). These animals are extremely rare in the wild, as they have more fragile health, and their beautiful, human taste, color prevents successful hunting. But zoos and circuses are very fond of blue-eyed beauties and are happy to contain them. In addition, the white tiger reproduces well in captivity. True, offspring of this color are born only on condition that both parents are white.
Attitude to White Tigers
In ancient times, it was believed that the white tiger has magical powers and therefore it often became an object of worship, a totem capable of solving problems and protecting against evil spirits.
Images of this amazing animal, for example, were placed on the gates of Taoist temples. And the meeting with him among the Indians was considered a harbinger of enlightenment and a happy future.
In China, the white tiger was considered the guardian of the land of the dead, granting longevity and strength. At the graves of relatives, the Chinese erected his stone statues in order to terrify the demons who came for the souls of the dead.
How white tigers appeared in captivity
In total in the world in zoos there are 130 individuals of a white Bengal tiger. All of them came from one ancestor - the male, whose name was Mohan.
In May 1951, in India, hunters stumbled upon a den in which, among ordinary teenage tiger cubs, there was one white. Maharaja Govindagari took this unusual kid to his palace, where Mohan lived for 12 years.
In order for white cubs to be born, Mohan was crossed with his red-haired daughter. Such a cross reinforces the necessary recessive trait - and the long-awaited white offspring was born. And in 1960, the first white tiger cub left India and settled in the US National Park in Washington. And soon, beautiful cats became desirable in all self-respecting zoos in the world.
White tiger Photos and amazing facts
The white tiger is considered the second largest after the Amur. It can weigh up to 300 kg and reach a length (without tail) of more than 3 meters.
Like his red relatives, the stripes on the body of a white tiger have an individual pattern inherent in only one individual.
White tigers have incredible hearing and vision, which, along with their secrecy, help the lords of the jungle to hunt at night and survive, having such an unusual color. And the urine with which they mark their territory has the smell of popcorn oil.
White tigers are very fond of swimming, they often play in the water, and adults are able to swim across the river in order to go hunting, breaking up to 30 km a day.
It is a pity that in the wild these wonderful amazing creatures are almost impossible to meet!
