White tigers, yes or no ?

[Hix]

Well, that pretty-well proves it. I'd always assumed melanism in Jags was recessive. I suppose inn a zoo environment you'd need to be around several pairs of both wild morph and melanistic, in order to see a genetic pattern developing. Most zoos don't have that many jaguars.

I stand corrected.



Hix

 

[Buldeo]

Should White tigers be kept in captivity?

Yes.

Keeping a white tiger should be no different than keeping a regular tiger. As others have mentioned, however, the problem is one of inbreeding; a naturally occurring white tiger should be both rare and celebrated. Natch. I'd be inclined to take a trip to visit a zoo with a natural born white tiger.

I otherwise agree with the article's precepts.

 

[Kifaru Bwana]

The hypothesis is not that simple as genetics is complex working matter as you may all have discovered!

However, in the ever present limited availability of space in captivity and .. yes .. the heavily inbred population of white tigers, it is far more sensible to provide spaces for a conservation priority tiger subspecies than a genetically determined / pre-disposed colour variation in a tiger - which in the wild given its obvious disadvantages in survival would occur only rarely.

Aside, from the space availability and inbreeding arguments, it is the somewhat undesirable effects of over-commercialising a feature in a tiger to try and win over zoo visitors to the importance of conserving and protecting wild tigers.