White Tiger

White Tiger - Images By Mr. Mohun Pai

The most amazing animal "the tiger" has the most amazing variant "the white tiger". Like the tiger white tiger has captivated the hearts and minds of a large number of animal lovers all over the World.

From being dubbed as an albino tiger to mutant to being a seperate species the white tiger is in truth is as a result a reccessive gene. Anyway it is a charming animals and excpet in case of pigmentation, in all respect same as the normal orange tiger.

What I understand from this is that at some stage of evolution the ancestors of the tiger might have no yellow pigment and where white. One reason I guess could be severe cold climate ice age justifying the white pigment (Siberian Tiger forgive me). The pigmentation changed whence climate change occured.........................Eeeeeeeeeeeeyah Best I can think of.

The first white tiger in the wild was discovered by the Maharaja of Rewa - HH Martand Singhji near the Bandhavgarh tiger reserve in the state of Madhya Pradesh in India. Subsequently white tiger was transported and bred in many zoos.

There are many historical records of white tiger sightings in Indian jungles before Mohun was captured in Central Indian forests. Perhaps some day a white tiger would be found in the wild again if tigers do survive in the wild in India.

White Bengal tiger

The world's most charismatic animal and the rarest is no more found in the wild. The white tiger was discovered in the wild jungles somewhere near the forests of Govindgarh which is near the Bandhavgarh tiger reserve.

It is said that a white tiger cub was found alive in a hunting expedition, the mother and other cubs where killed. The erstwhile Maharaja of Rewa who governed the region decided to capture the cub alive. The white tiger cub was eventually captured by Maharaja' team and kept in Govindgarh palace. The white tiger cub was named as Mohan.

The white tiger is a recessive gene and not an albino or a sub species as it was earlier thought. This animal lacks the yellow pigment completely hence the resultant color of the fur is black and white. The white tiger's habit and habitat is same as normal orange tigers.

The history of white tiger shows that there where other white tigers discovered and shot in India in earlier times. But the white tigers in the zoo are the progeny of Mohan. The white tiger breeds with orange or normal colored tigers naturally and hence the population has grown in the zoos.

There have been no more white tigers discovered in the wild till this date. The fact is the Bengal tiger population and its habitat has come down so drastically that chances of finding a white Bengal tiger in the wild has dimmed.

There are some morphological difference ascribed to white tigers as pink lips, icy blue eyes and larger size, which maybe true but it needs research to verify the facts. When I am on a tiger safari I keep a look out for white tigers. This may seem far fetched but who knows.