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RR
= normal cubs
(25%)
Rw = normal cubs, carry the white gene (50%) ww = white cubs (25%)
Therefore it is a fallacy that if two "white carriers" mate,
the cubs will automatically be "white gene carriers" As in
the case of RR, it could
be simply a normal cub.
In the mating of Saetao and Julie, it is unknown
whether the 2 normal cubs are carriers or not.
The Mohan example is certainly very similar to the situation
the white lions faced in the Timbavati Private Reserve in
South Africa in the 1970's.
Human beings would not allow nature to take its course. Money
could be made from white lions, so they ended up in zoos and
circuses and private collections. Inbreeding occurred, more
white lions were bred and then sold to the highest bidder.
The hundreds of white tigers in zoos, circuses and private
collections have suffered the same fate. Many have reduced
fertility, eye weaknesses, sway back and twisted necks.
There is a feeling among circus trainers that white tigers
are more aggressive than normal tigers. The tiger that
attacked the well known entertainer, Roy, during the
"Siegfried and Roy" show in Las Vegas, is a white tiger.
Now
I have the unique opportunity to observe at close
quarters whether the female white tiger cub "Shine" is at a
disadvantage in the wilds.
Tiger cub movie
Firstly, "Shine" is definitely not weaker than the two
normal cubs and competes ferociously for milk and meat.
Whether she is more aggressive, is too early to say.
Although her blue eyes give her a piercing unique beauty, I
suspect those eyes may not be as effective as the dark eyes
under the harsh African sun.
Where her disadvantage will lie, is when she starts to hunt
alert prey. She simply does not have the camouflage that the
normal tigers have.
In the interplay of shadow and light in a forest, a normal
tiger can become invisible.
In tall brown grass, a normal tiger can melt into the
background.
Lying behind a rock with blotched lichen, the tiger merges
with the rocks.
Simply put, the white cub "Shine", will stick out like a
"sore thumb" when she tries to hunt.
With the exception of the primates, the prey of the tiger
see in shades of black and white. Examine
their flight techniques, waterbuck have white circles on
their rump, kudu flash a white tail as does nyala. Impala,
blesbuck, mountain reedbuck, red hartebeest flash white
tails and zebra combine black and
white stripes as their "flight flags"
In short, the prey see white better than any colour and
herein lies the big disadvantage for a white solitary hunter
that relies on stealth, to get close to quarry.
So what is the conservation value of producing a white tiger
cub, if any?
The answer lies in its beauty and mythical qualities.
Like the white lions, many people believe white tigers to be
superior to other tigers. Godlike in many ways, messengers,
ambassadors for their species, so to speak.
Certainly visitors at Tiger Canyons, if they are fascinated by the
normal tiger cubs, they are mesmerized by the white cub.
If newly born white cubs could be introduced into wild
tigress litters, it would certainly help the Asian
conservationists who are trying to save the parks and their
tigers. They would provide political mileage, a reason to
protect the parks, which are under siege from rising human
populations.
Will white tigers thrive in the wilds? I suspect not. There
are too many natural factors against them. If white tigers
were so successful, there would have been many more
sightings in the past.
Like the white lion it remains in the wilds, a rare
recessive but unsuccessful gene.
When Tigress Julie abandoned her litter of 3 cubs, I was
bitterly disappointed to say the least. To have watched her
raise normal and white cubs to maturity, would have been a
fascinating experience.
However, a philosopher friend of mine, pointed out to me, that perhaps
the best role for "Shine" the white tiger cub, is as an
ambassador for her species.
Julie has given us human beings a rare gift, lets make the best of this rare opportunity.
If she makes it back into the wilds, she will be the only
free ranging white tiger in the world. This would be a truly
remarkable achievement.
We shall see and time will tell.
Tread lightly on the
earth
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Tread lightly on the Earth
[email protected] |
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