The world of tigers is a tapestry of power, beauty, and genetic diversity. While the iconic Bengal tiger with its striking orange coat reigns supreme, nature occasionally weaves in variations, known as “tiger morphs,” that captivate our imagination. Among these, the white tiger and the golden tiger stand out as rare and enigmatic examples of genetic marvels. Let’s delve into the fascinating world of these tiger morphs, exploring their origins, characteristics, and challenges.
The Foundation: The Bengal Tiger (No Morph)
The Bengal tiger (Panthera tigris tigris) is the most numerous tiger subspecies, inhabiting the dense forests and grasslands of India, Nepal, Bangladesh, and Bhutan. Their characteristic orange coat with black stripes serves as excellent camouflage in their natural habitat. These majestic creatures are apex predators, playing a crucial role in maintaining ecological balance. Their survival, however, is constantly threatened by habitat loss, poaching, and human-wildlife conflict.
White Tiger: A Striking Morph of the Bengal
The white tiger is not a separate subspecies but a genetic variation, or “tiger morph,” of the Bengal tiger. Their pale coat is the result of a recessive gene that inhibits the production of pheomelanin, the pigment responsible for the orange coloration. This gene must be inherited from both parents for a cub to be born white.
Problems White Tigers Face in the Wild
Life of a white tiger poses a lot of stress on the survival. As the lack of camouflage makes hunting extremely difficult, on a plain field or a dense forest, it is really tough to suppress your presence from prey. White color reflects most light and due to which it is tough for a predator to hunt. Many white tigers also suffer from genetic health issues, such as crossed eyes and other visual impairments. This leads to a low survival rate and another reason why white tiger is nothing but impossible to find in wild.
Where can we see a White Tiger?
Today, most white tigers exist in captivity, primarily in zoos and sanctuaries. As their rare occurrence only happens if cub gets the gene from both parents, they are bred in a safe environment which supports their survival rate. Historically, they were occasionally reported in India. The last known white tiger in the wild was killed in 1958. After that, there are reports of sighting of a white tiger in 2017 in Nilgiri & in 2020 in Kaziranga. In captivity, while still rare, they are more prevalent, but still a small percentage of all captive tigers.
Golden Tiger: The Golden Tabby Morph
The golden tiger, also known as the golden tabby tiger, is another rare “tiger morph” of the Bengal tiger. Their unique golden coat is believed to be caused by a recessive gene that affects melanin production, resulting in a lighter, golden-orange coloration and paler stripes.
Problems White Tigers Face in the Wild
Like white tigers, their unusual coloration may impact their camouflage, though perhaps to a lesser extent. Another big problem for golden tabby morph tigers is created by humans, their rarity makes them even more vulnerable to poaching, due to their unique coats. Even with a special status in the wild and humans eyes, nature does not provide them with special resources, the same general problems of any tiger in the wild, such as habitat loss, and poaching, still effect them.
Where can we see a White Tiger?
Golden tigers are exceptionally rare. They have been primarily documented in captive settings. Like the white tiger, wild numbers are assumed to be incredibly low. Captive numbers are even lower than white tigers, making them very rare.
Although a guest of ours spotted a golden tiger in Kaziranga National Park, Assam. Tara Mary Roseberry, our guest, who was on a safari tour to Kaziranga was amazed with the rare sighting of golden tiger.
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