Tiger Subspecies

Prague, Tierpark Berlin and Parc Des Felins all keep three pure subspecies, the latter also hold white (generic) tigers. That's the best for you within Europe, incidentally all three keep multiples of leopard subspecies as well.
 
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According to ZooTierliste, the WHF (Wildlife Herritage Foundation) in the UK has Royal Bengal, Sumatran, Amur and Generic.
 
As noted in the thread I linked above, the claim by WHF to hold Bengal tigers is extremely tenuous at best; the individual concerned is a "bengal tiger" in the same sense that a Heck Cattle is an "aurochs", having been bred back from hybrids with high bengal lineage.
 
In the U.S., the Bronx has Amur Tigers and Malayan Tigers. Some other zoos have two kinds of tigers, but they are considered generic tigers and not a true "subspecies."
 
Since neither generic nor "Bengals" outside India really count, and pure South Chinese tigers (as far as I know) aren't kept in any zoo outside China, the largest number of pure subspecies any zoo is likely to have is four: Indochinese, Malayan, Sumatra and Siberian. To my knowledge the three zoos mentioned by Brum are the only with three subspecies; I'm not aware or any other in Europe or any in North America. One of the Chinese zoos with South Chinese or one of the Indian zoos with real Bengals could theoretically have five (previous four+their own), but I strongly suspect two or perhaps three subspecies is the largest kept in any zoo in those countries.
 
I know Tierpark Berlin keeps three subspecies. I’m not sure which. Ashford has a female Bengal Tiger; that I know! Berlin has a male and female Siberian Tiger. They also have a male Malayan Tiger. I don’t know of any zoos that hold Indochinese or South China Tigers. Augsburg has a male Sumatran Tiger. By the way, what are “generic” Tigers?
 
They don't? Hmm....they did at one time. I guess she died or was moved to another zoo. But, I do remember them having one.
 
ostrich said:
They don't? Hmm....they did at one time. I guess she died or was moved to another zoo. But, I do remember them having one.
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what he means is that it was claimed as a pure Bengal but it was not. "Generic" tigers are ones that are zoo-bred hybrids of different subspecies (e.g. all the "Bengals" outside India are probably "generic").
 
Oh, okay. Thank you so much. I didn't know she wasn't a pure Bengal. Why do zoos breed hybrids anyway?
 
ostrich said:
Oh, okay. Thank you so much. I didn't know she wasn't a pure Bengal. Why do zoos breed hybrids anyway?
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That has got to be the most ask question on ZooChat:p Zoos bred pure White Bengals with pure Amurs to make them more impressive and larger.

Regarding Indochinese and South China Tigers, I was talking to Baboon a little while ago and he mentioned that a new study revealed that all cats thought to be South China Tigers (including the ones in South Africa) except for the animals at only two Chinese zoos are actually Indochinese Tigers.

~Thylo:cool:
 
I had no idea that breeding a Bengal and a Siberian would make a larger Tiger. It's a shame about the South China Tigers. They are really in trouble!
 
ostrich said:
I had no idea that breeding a Bengal and a Siberian would make a larger Tiger. It's a shame about the South China Tigers. They are really in trouble!
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Amur Tigers are larger than Bengals and white Bengals are popular with the public so the idea was to create a larger white tiger.

~Thylo:cool:
 
ThylacineAlive said:
That has got to be the most ask question on ZooChat:p Zoos bred pure White Bengals with pure Amurs to make them more impressive and larger.

Regarding Indochinese and South China Tigers, I was talking to Baboon a little while ago and he mentioned that a new study revealed that all cats thought to be South China Tigers (including the ones in South Africa) except for the animals at only two Chinese zoos are actually Indochinese Tigers.

~Thylo:cool:
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If only two zoos hold South China tigers is there any hope of that subspecies being saved? That's sad news.
 
elefante said:
If only two zoos hold South China tigers is there any hope of that subspecies being saved? That's sad news.
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You'd have to talk to Baboon to get more information on that as I don't know how many individuals these two zoos hold between each other. And by the way, Baboon did say that more tests were needed to be sure but it's not looking good for the subspecies. The only hope would probably be to collect as many DNA samples from as many living and dead cats as possible and send it to the Frozen Zoo like they're doing with the Northern White Rhinoceros.

~Thylo:cool:
 
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