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The White Tiger Fraud

Did you know the only way to produce a white tiger is through severe inbreeding of brother to sister, father to daughter and mother to son?

Did you know that there is no such species as a Royal White Bengal Tiger?

If you didn't know that, don't feel bad, you were deceived just like millions of others.  Read on to learn the truth about white tigers, white lions, tabby tigers and other genetic aberrations.  Print the White Tiger Fact Sheet Brochure

 

 

To see a 5 minute video clip about the rescue of the white tiger on this page, some baby cubs and others click HERE.  Click to see the video called White Tiger Myth Buster.

Over the years many people have asked us to take white tigers off their hands, but in every case it was only so they could breed more babies to use, so we declined. For years we have railed against supporting facilities that breed and exhibit white tigers because of the abuse involved in producing them. White Tigers can ONLY exist in captivity by continual inbreeding, such as father to daughter, brother to sister, mother to son and so forth. The white lions and golden tabby tigers are merely a product of this practice of inbreeding for white coats as well and are not being bred for any sort of conservation program either. ALL white tigers are cross eyed, whether it shows or not, because the gene that causes the white coat always causes the optic nerve to be wired to the wrong side of the brain.  That is why white tigers are such a favorite of the tiger-tamer-wanabees;  they are far more dependant upon their masters.  (See genetics and time line of the inbreeding below)

The myth of the Rare White Bengal Tiger was an illusion meant to deceive the public into thinking that these cats were endangered and being preserved for future generations. The truth of the matter is that they aren’t even pure Bengal tigers, but rather are all the offspring of an original Siberian / Bengal cross breeding. The inbreeding results in many defects, early deaths, still births and, as could be expected, the cats are not very bright which is why they are preferred for entertainment purposes.

To quote from Dr. Ron Tilson, Conservation Director of the Minnesota Zoo and manager of the world renown Tiger Species Survival Plan, "The white tiger controversy among zoos is a small part ethics and a large part economics. The tiger Species Survival Plan has condemned breeding white tigers because of their mixed ancestry, most have been hybridized with other subspecies and are of unknown lineage, and because they serve no conservation purpose. Owners of white tigers say they are popular exhibit animals and increase zoo attendance and revenues as well. The same rationalization can be applied to the selective propagation of white lions, king cheetahs and other phenotypically aberrant animals."
 

"White tigers are an aberration artificially bred and proliferated by some zoos, private breeders and a few circuses who do so for economic rather than conservation reasons."

"However, there is an unspoken issue that shames the very integrity of zoos, their alleged conservation programs and their message to the visiting public. To produce white tigers or any other phenotypic curiosity, directors of zoos and other facilities must continuously inbreed father to daughter and father to granddaughter and so on. At issue is a contradiction of fundamental genetic principles upon which all Species Survival Plans for endangered species in captivity are based. White tigers are an aberration artificially bred and proliferated by some zoos, private breeders and a few circuses who do so for economic rather than conservation reasons."

As for breeding tigers of any color, Ron Tilson says, “For private owners to say, ‘We’re saving tigers,’ is a lie,” Tilson says. “They are not saving tigers; they’re breeding them for profit.”

Tilson says the exotic animal market is a multimillion dollar industry, ranking just below the illegal drug trade and just above the illegal gun market.

Tilson says tigers are the most charismatic animal on earth. Their appeal is universal. “They are the alpha predator who used to kill and eat us,” he says. “We cannot help but be in awe of their power and grace. Tigers represent everything fine and decent and powerful. Everything those people would like to be. It’s all an ego trip—big guns, big trucks, and big tigers.”

 

...most have such profound birth defects, such as immune deficiency, scoliosis of the spine (distorted spine), cleft palates, mental impairments and grotesquely crossed eyes that bulge from their skull...

Consider this: Only 1 in 4 tiger cubs from a white tiger bred to an orange tiger carrying the white gene are born white, and 80% of those die from birth defects associated with the inbreeding necessary to cause a white coat. Of those surviving, most have such profound birth defects, such as immune deficiency, scoliosis of the spine (distorted spine), cleft palates, mental impairments and grotesquely crossed eyes that bulge from their skull that only a small percentage are suitable for display. Due to these birth defects the white tigers often die an early death.  According to some tiger trainers, only 1 in 30 of those white cats will consistently perform. The number of tigers that have to be produced and disposed of in order to fill the public’s desire to see white tigers on display is staggering.

Big Cat Rescue has never taken in a white tiger before because we did not want to enable people to dispose of their “defective” cats and cause so much more suffering and abuse by having an easy dumping ground for the cats who didn’t serve them.

Even though Zabu is black and white, the decision of whether or not to rescue her was not. When Zabu and Cameron’s plight came to our attention we had to think long and hard about whether or not we would have a white tiger on our tour. We didn’t want to be perceived as using a white tiger to draw visitors.

Many times on our tours we tell guests about the fraud that has been promoted to the public about white tigers and talk about all of our golden tigers who ended up unwanted and abandoned at our door because they were the wrong color. Now we were considering turning away a white tiger because she was the wrong color. In her case the facility was being shut down and by rescuing her we were not enabling the owner to breed more and we were keeping a cat of prime breeding age from falling into the hands of people who would breed her to death.

Every year we have to turn away hundreds of big cats. Please do not support those who breed these majestic animals for a life of cruel confinement. No animal, especially a tiger, belongs in a cage.

Carole Baskin, Founder Big Cat Rescue

Next White Tiger Page

 

 

Your Votes Won in Round 1

Thanks to 1,249 of Hurley's nearest and dearest friends, he won in Round 1 of the Bissell contest.  He was competing against 6,298 other great pets to win this round.

In April the top 60 pets from the 12 weeks of voting, will go nose to nose for the $10,000 grand prize. 

We will contact you then and ask that you vote for Hurley to win this big prize that he is donating to Big Cat Rescue.

In the meanwhile, we hope that you will rally your troops, join us on facebook and build your social profiles at places like ChatBigCats.com, MySpace, Twitter, YouTube and Facebook so that we can get the word out quickly in the final round.

HURLEY'S BIO:

Hurley was rescued from animal control in October 2008 by Big Cat Rescue President Jamie Veronica when he was just three months old. He was scheduled to be put to sleep and was adopted just in time. Hurley is a Pit mix the most friendly dog you will ever meet. He is everyone's best friend and loves meeting new people. He grew up going to work at Big Cat Rescue every day with his mom. His job is to bring smiles to all the volunteers at the sanctuary by thanking them with slobbery puppy kisses!  See his YouTube Video:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=55Y0O97owQo

 

 

Rescue of Narla the Cougar:

RI Woman Gives Up 13-year-old Pet Cougar

Marilyn Loppi had been searching for a home for her husband’s pet cougar for several months. Thirteen year old Narla, a 90-pound cougar, had been living in a cage in the Loppis’ Rhode Island backyard since she was a kitten. But when Marilyn’s husband Robert passed away in May 2009, Loppi decided she no longer wanted the cat. Robert Loppi had a permit for the cat, which he had gotten from a friend. It was legal in 1997 for private citizens in Rhode Island to own exotic cats, but authorities say they would not issue such a permit now, except to a zoo or other accredited facility. 

Unable to find a facility that would accept the cat, Loppi finally contacted Big Cat Rescue in Tampa, Florida, which agreed to take the cougar if Loppi surrendered her exotic pet license. Loppi lured Narla into a carrier with shrimp, and the staff from Big Cat Rescue came early in the morning of January 7th to take her back to Florida. Originally, Animal Control officers and a film crew from Animal Planet were supposed to accompany the rescuers. However, the crew from Big Cat Rescue was afraid Loppi might back out at the last minute, due to the media attention, so they came an hour early and quietly took the cat.

Cougars, also called mountain lions, pumas, catamounts, and panthers, are the largest cats in North America and can weigh up to 200 lbs. They are hunted for sport in many states, and are scarce in the Midwest and eastern United States. In Florida, the panther teeters on the brink of extinction, with only 100 cats remaining. The cats are tawny brown in color, built for running and jumping, and highly elusive in the wild. They are the largest of the purring cats.

At Big Cat Rescue, Narla is one of many cats who were former pets. When their owners no longer want or are able to care for them, the sanctuary offers the cats a comfortable home for the rest of their lives. Narla is currently in a large outdoor habitat, where she enthusiastically greets keepers with the signature cougar chirp. 

by Willow Hecht

Photos of the rescue here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/bigcatrescue/sets/72157623173290048/

You can help provide for her care here:  http://www.bigcatrescue.org/donate.htm

 

CFC Participant? Generous donations through the CFC program have become one of our major sources of funding. Our CFC number is 10766. On behalf of the cats, sincere thanks to the many Federal employees who have helped us provide the best possible home for the cats by donating through this program.

Big Cat Times Magazine!  Check out the most recent issue of The Big Cat Times in this online magazine format HERE

February Issue of AdvoCat:  The latest edition of the AdvoCat, our monthly E-zine is HERE

Win an Animal Lover's Dream Vacation: If you love animals, you have got to see this fabulous trip HERE

Follow us on Twitter and see what is happening moment by moment at Big Cat Rescue and in the world of lions, tigers, bobcats and other exotic wildcats. @BigCatRescue

 

Other Ways You Can Help Today

 

Big Cat Credit Card

You can give more without spending more by turning your everyday spending into meaningful donations with a customized Big Cat Rescue Capital One credit card.  Share your passion and donate to Big Cat Rescue with your everyday purchases. We've partnered with Capital One® Card Lab Connect to bring you our newest fundraising program, which helps us earn money doing what you do every day! Just carry one of our custom credit cards (it comes with a competitive rate and no annual fee), and 1% of purchases made with the card will be donated to Big Cat Rescue.

Not only will you be donating to the cats with each purchase you make, you'll be helping to spread the word when people see your wildly unique card, designed specifically for Big Cat Rescue.  Three custom cards are currently available featuring Cameron the lion, Cheetaro the leopard, and Shere Khan & China Doll the tigers!  What a great way to share the cats' stories every time you pull out your credit card.  Tell others too by downloading Credit Card Flyer

Sharing your passion and your support is easy and automatic. Apply today! 

https://www.cardlabconnect.com/Big Cat Rescue

 

 

Text $5 From Your Phone

To donate $5 that will appear on your cell phone bill, put 20222 in the TO line and the word Tiger in the body of the text message. You will receive a text message back asking to confirm your donation. Or you can type your cell number into the box below to have a $5 donation added to your phone bill. 

A one-time donation of $5 will be added to your mobile phone bill or deducted from your prepaid balance.  Messaging & Data Rates May Apply. All charges are billed by and payable to your mobile service provider.  Service is available on most carriers. Donations are collected for the benefit of the “Big Cat Rescue”  by the Mobile Giving Foundation and subject to the terms found at www.hmgf.org/t. You can unsubscribe at any time by replying STOP to short code “20222”; Reply HELP to “20222” for help.

 

 

 

Big Cat Rescue is an educational sanctuary and a home for more than 100 big cats  12802 Easy St. Tampa, FL 33625 813.920.4130 Info@BigCatRescue.org