White Tiger - 1984

brill photo

Thanks, but I think it's a bit soft. However, it was my first White Tiger so I was excited to see it. They weren't all that common back in the early '80s.

Not only was it your first White tiger, but if this is 'Akbar 2nd' he was the very LAST of the purebred Indian strain of White Tigers which Bristol kept. He could also have been the last purebred Indian tiger(of either colour) in the UK too though that's not certain.

Unfortunately I don't know his name. Photo was taken in early February 1984, if that helps.

Pretty certain that was him from this date.

Have got a photo somewhere of a White Tiger there at around the same time.

was he the only tiger at the zoo at the time?

According to my notes from the time, there were several white tigers at the zoo and they were breeding.

thanks hix.

(the terrible inbreeding of white tigers though...)

As I said earlier, they weren't all that common back then. And it's only in the last 15-20 years that zoos have started thinking about the implications of their actions, and acting a bit more responsibly.

But there are still some zoos that put the emphasis more on marketing than conservation or welfare.

(Note: the above statements are about zoos in general. It is NOT a comment about Bristol Zoo.)