White Tiger- The Exotic Beautiful Big Cat
White tigers are bleached tigers that look white due to the lack of pigments called pheomelanin. They are majestic and beautiful animals of nature. White tigers are found in Bandhavgarh National park in Madhya Pradesh, Sundarbans National park in West Bengal, Nilgiri hills in Tamil Nadu, Mukundpur in Madhya Pradesh and in Kaziranga National park in Assam. The highest number of White tigers are found in Bandhavgarh National Park.
The first white tiger was spotted by the Maharaja Martand Singh in Madhya Pradesh in 1951 and was named Mohan. The Maharaja domesticated the White tiger bred them and the cubs were exported to other countries. Today white tigers have become exotic due to outcrossing tourist attractions.
The White tigers are born without an orange colour coat but have dark stripes and blue eyes. They are also called White Bengal tigers. The big White cats are the mutants of yellow Bengal tigers. They have a recessive gene that results in producing the white fur coat. They are part of the Royal Bengal Tiger family
These big fascinating animals are rare to see. They are very fast runners and are quick to hunt at night. White tigers cannot camouflage or blend with the surroundings, due to their white fur coat. They live to have a dip in waters and enjoy. The dark and deep forests are perfects habitats for big cats.
White tigers are kept in captivity in sanctuaries as they cannot survive in the forests or in jungles. Due to inbreeding many of the White tigers suffer from health and genetic diseases and do not survive for long. White tigers are popular due to their fur colour and are a source of entertainment. No two tigers have the same patterns of stripes on them.
White tigers are heavier, grow faster, and more aggressive than the Bengal tiger. They are exotic animals, beautiful to look and are very good swimmers. A tigress produces up to five cubs. The young ones begin to hunt for themselves at around 18 months of age. for about 2 to 3 years the cubs stay with their mothers and then they start their lives. Their life span is about 12 to 20 years in captivity.
The food of the White tiger includes herbivorous animals such as cattle, deer, goats and wild boars. White tigers are threatened by humans and they are endangered animals. Due to habitat destruction for development purposes, hunting for their fur and exotic pet trading has resulted in their decreased numbers.
The white tiger is a very popular fantastic animal. They appear in literature, video games, comic books and on TV. Arvind Adiga's novel won 'The White Tiger" won the 'Man Booker Prize' in 2008. The narrator in the book refers to himself as the White tiger. The Japanese series 'Power Rangers' and the 'Super Sentai' have had white tiger themed Rangers and mecha. In the Animorphs TV series, a trained white tiger from the Bowmanville Zoo in Ontario, Canada were used. Beast wars are based on the White tiger.
India hosts the largest number of white tigers. In a bid to increase the number of White tigers the World's first white tiger sanctuary was established in Madhyapradesh in India.
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