subject: Plush White Tiger [print this page] There is no denying that a plush white tiger is one of the more unusual soft toys one has to choose from in the world of stuffed animals. After all, like the real thing, plush white tigers are not the norm when it comes to the species; the signature black and orange striped body, is more of what we are used to seeing when it comes to tigers.
White tigers are an extremely controversial cat. Because of their unusual looks, they are a very popular attraction at zoos and animal sanctuaries, which for some, is a problem. There are those that work on behalf of animal conservation and education who feel that white tigers are simply exploited so as to draw revenue to the places in which they are housed. And, so as to ensure the crowds will still come and spend their money, questionable breeding practices of white tigers has become an all too familiar hot button issue.
White tigers are not albinos or a sub-species of tiger facts many people are unaware of - but rather, the result of a recessive gene sometimes found in Bengal tigers. In order to get the unusual black and white coat, a Bengal tiger with the recessive gene must be bred to his or her offspring. In 1953, when the very first wild white tiger (which had been on captivity since 1951) was bred to a wild tigress, it produced two male orange cubs. As breeding of these two male cubs progressed through the years, they failed to produce a single white cub. As a result, Mohan the first ever white tiger was bred to one of his daughters (who carried the white gene inherited from her father) in 1958, which successfully produced white tiger cubs.
Big Cat Rescue, a non-profit, educational sanctuary, provides refuge for wild, exotic cats who have been abandoned, bred for pets, retired from performing, or were saved from being killed and turned into fur coats. They have more than 100 residents with 14 of the 35 species of wild cat represented. This includes, tigers, lions, leopards, cougars, lynx, and bobcats, to name a few. Big Cat Rescue is vehemently opposed to the in-breeding of tigers so as to produce white cats. According to them, the preservation of white tigers is nothing more than an illusion used to deceive the public into believing that white tigers are an endangered cat which needs to be preserved for future generations. The truth of it is, is that none of the white tigers that exist today, are pure Bengal tigers at all, but rather the result of extensive cross-breeding over the years from the original Siberian/Bengal pairing which produced white cubs.
You can decide for yourself, as to whether or not white tigers are being exploited and in the meantime, enjoy the plush white tiger you are really lucky to have.
