| February 14th 2010 saw the start of the Chinese | | | | animals for that matter. All they are really |
| "Year of the Tiger". The thing is, it isn't. It will | | | | concerned about is having a tiger or tigers. They |
| never be the Year of the Tiger until we have | | | | breed brother to sister to mother to son. They |
| adequate room and protection for them in the | | | | give no care to crossing a Bengal Tiger Panthera |
| wild and a real understanding of the problems | | | | tigris tigris with whatever other subspecies may |
| they face in captivity. | | | | be to hand. No records are kept. The more cubs |
| There will be those who recently read and were | | | | they can produce the happier they are. Nobody |
| assured that there are 6000 tigers in captivity in | | | | knows or cares in such collections. Yet these |
| China. That is nearly double the entire wild | | | | places have the audacity to excuse their crimes |
| population! Couple that to the 3000 or so Tigers | | | | and talk about conservation and re-introduction |
| held in private hands in Texas alone it really looks | | | | programmes whilst they have not the faintest |
| like the tiger has nothing to worry about. There | | | | idea about either concept. What is really sad is |
| are Tigers elsewhere too. It isn't just Texas in | | | | that in some countries the officials in charge of |
| the USA as it is estimated there may be as | | | | the wildlife departments have no understanding |
| many as 5000 'American' Tigers. Every other | | | | either. There is a real danger that some of these |
| country has its quota too. Europe, South America, | | | | animals may actually be released by people |
| Asia, Australasia and the Middle East, they all have | | | | working along with the assumption that as it is |
| Tigers. There are lots and lots of Tigers. | | | | striped, so is a Tiger, so it must be okay. It isn't. |
| The Tiger is under threat not just from habitat | | | | Nobody in their right mind would release Polar |
| destruction and poaching but from irresponsible | | | | Bears Ursus maritimus into jungles of Malaysia or |
| breeding in captivity. There is one species of tiger | | | | Malaysian Sun Bears Helarctos malayanus into the |
| and six surviving subspecies. These are the Bengal | | | | Arctic wastes. It would be equally crazy to |
| Tiger Panthera tigris tigris, the Amur Tiger | | | | consider releasing hybrids of the two into either |
| Panthera tigris altaica, the South China Tiger | | | | environment. They would be clearly unsuited. The |
| Panthera tigris amoyensis, the Indochinese Tiger | | | | example may sound a little extreme but it is not |
| Panthera tigris corbetti, the Sumatran Tiger | | | | so very far removed what some of these |
| Panthera tigris sumatrae and the Malayan Tiger | | | | disreputable collections are doing and talking about. |
| Panthera tigris jacksoni. | | | | They are even crossing Lions with Tigers (Ligers) |
| Three other subspecies, the Javan Tiger Panthera | | | | and Tigers with Lions (Tigons). We have known |
| tigris sondaica, the Bali Tiger Panthera tigris balica | | | | that such hybrids could be bred in captivity for |
| and the Caspian Tiger Panthera tigris virgata have | | | | more than a hundred years. Just what are they |
| become extinct in the past sixty or so years. | | | | trying to prove? Where on earth do they expect |
| Today there remains only around 3200 Tigers in | | | | to release such animals? |
| the wild shared out in varying numbers between | | | | There are those who argue that subspecific tiger |
| Malaysia, Bangladesh, Bhutan, China, India, | | | | crosses can introduce 'hybrid vigour' into a |
| Indonesia, Nepal, Russia, Thailand, Laos, Vietnam, | | | | population. The fact that it has already been done |
| and Cambodia. | | | | in some cases by people of reputation does not |
| Within the reputable, the good zoos of the world, | | | | make it right. It is just as easy to consider such |
| there are genuine sincere efforts to keep these | | | | an act as genetic pollution and as a dilution of |
| subspecies separate. Each has its own studbook | | | | needed physical attributes that nature has taken |
| and the available gene pool is managed by genuine | | | | aeons to establish and hone. Tigers are not |
| caring professionals with the long term future of | | | | common peas Pisum sativum. This is not one of |
| that species or subspecies in mind. Nobody is | | | | Mendel's experiments with plants. These are living |
| kidding themselves that any but a small number | | | | breathing warm blooded mammals. |
| will ever be released into the wild, if at all, whilst | | | | Then we have that group of zoos which continue |
| the problems in the wild still exist. The zoos today | | | | to breed White Tigers. Undeniably beautiful but so |
| are looking as far as a hundred years ahead to a | | | | often wrongly promoted as a rare endangered |
| period in which we presently cannot predict the | | | | species which they most definitely are not. White |
| state of the planet. | | | | Tigers are completely messed up genetically and |
| The subspecies held in captivity are instantly | | | | most carry defects like cross eyes and similar. |
| recognised as Tigers even to the novice eye. Put | | | | Then they go on to promote these as rare or |
| them into adjoining enclosures and the subspecific | | | | endangered. This would be a bit of a joke if it |
| differences become apparent. These are animals | | | | were not in reality a blatant lie. There are |
| which have been shaped by nature over many | | | | probably as many White Tigers in captivity as |
| thousands of years. Time has weeded out the | | | | there are wild normal coloured Tigers in the whole |
| weak features. These are animals which have | | | | of India. To cap it all they are nearly all cross |
| been naturally selected by nature to survive in | | | | breeds between Bengal and Amur Tigers. These |
| their environment. At one extreme we have the | | | | animals will never be released into the wild by any |
| small dark short haired Sumatran Tiger Panthera | | | | competent authority. |
| tigris sumatrae ideally suited to the dark tropical | | | | There is a place for a few White Tigers in |
| humid forests of Sumatra. At the other we have | | | | captivity for, after all they did, very rarely occur |
| the large, light coloured and long haired Amur | | | | in the wild within India. A genuine naturally |
| Tiger Panthera tigris altaica which is adapted to | | | | produced White Tiger in the hands of a zoo which |
| the snowy wastes of Eastern Russia. They are | | | | is actively involved in an approved and regulated |
| what they are because of natural selection. | | | | breeding programme would be valuable not only |
| Within the managed captive Tiger populations no | | | | genetically but as an educational tool. White tigers |
| money changes hands. Tigers are moved | | | | as they exist today are no more than a |
| between collections for the consideration and well | | | | commercial draw to pull in the public. Any other |
| being of the population as a whole. Breeding pairs | | | | colour would do to the disreputable zoo as long as |
| are carefully selected. An unnatural selection done | | | | it is not natural. |
| with an understanding of natures choice. Breeding | | | | The real threat to the Tigers of the world is not |
| is limited with the health and well being of both | | | | just the problems they face in the wild (though |
| animal and population being important. Parent | | | | these should not be dismissed because they are |
| rearing is one of the main considerations. | | | | critically important) but from the huge |
| Outside of the worlds reputable zoos we have | | | | unregistered, unmanaged, genetically damaged |
| the bad zoos and Tiger farms which give no | | | | populations held in captivity in tiger farms and in |
| consideration to subspecies of tigers, or any other | | | | second and third class zoos. |