Trails of Nature - 3

So 2010 Tiger statistics in India were in news last week. Some people are pointing to figures and beaming that the Indian Tiger population has come up(from 1411 to 1706). Skeptics believe that the rise in figures is apparent since the latest count has included a few more forests(previously naxalite invaded). We won't know the truth for sure! Thats all I have understood. This was followed by a new cry from Animal lovers that leopards are also in trouble. Now that tiger population is on the verge of 'safety' they might be able to concentrate on leopards....


Talking of tigers,


I met him at Singapore Zoo along with his two siblings. We were informed that his father is 'Mohan',father of many cubs, all having blue eyes. Mohan was captured by an Indian Maharajah in 1951 and lived in his palace all his life. I was curious about the secret of the white fur coat and so did a little google research after return.

The genetics is quite complex and the white fur is attributed to an Autosomal recessive gene. These white tigers are actually mutants and not a subspecies. They also exist among the Bengal tigers. Those which live in captivity are not pure Siberian tigers. They are instead the result of Siberian tigers breeding with Bengal tigers. Estimates show that only around one in 10,000 wild tiger births will result in a white tiger.

Due to the popularity of white tigers, they are used to attract visitors to zoos and will hopefully help raise awareness about all tigers and their situation.

So will Tigers survive this century?