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Endangered White Tigers and the Inbreeding Controversy

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Endangered White Tigers and the Inbreeding Controversy Read the following article about endangered white tigers, and then answer the questions on the opposite page. Endangered White Tigers and the Inbreeding Controversy In the last 100 years, only 12 white tigers have been spotted in the wild. These unique tigers instil a sense of unmatched beauty and awe, but common folklore portray them as the beasts of death or bad omen. So, while they may indeed be idolized by some people, they are brutally hunted down by others. White tigers are very rarely seen in the wild. The white tiger cannot be considered as a sub-species, but is a result of recessive yet rare genes of the Bengal tiger, and is actually a colour variation. It is estimated that only one in 10,000 births can result in a white tiger naturally. Over the past couple of centuries, white tigers have become even rarer in the wild, with some unsubstantiated sightings in the Siberian wild, due to trophy hunting or capture for exotic pet trade. Today, the white tiger can still be found in a handful of zoos and animal sanctuaries around the world, with these large and beautiful felines often being the star attraction. History and Origin The first mention of a white tiger was recorded in India somewhere between 1556 and 1605 AD, although the first documented case of a white tiger being caught was in 1915. It is believed that a local king caught a white tiger and kept it for himself till its demise. After 36 years, in 1951, Maharaja Martand Singh, the king of Rewa, spotted a male white tiger during his visit to the Govindgarh jungle in Central India. He captured this tiger and raised it himself. Named Mohan, the tiger mated with its offspring, and the first litter of white tiger cubs were born. All the white tigers kept in zoos are now the descendants of Mohan, or some of the other captive orange tigers whose recessive genes took over through special breeding programs. Anatomy and Appearance All white tigers are a colour variant of the Bengal tiger; they are not a separate sub-species. A white tiger can weigh up to 300 kg (661 pounds), and grow to more than 3 metres (10 ft) in length. The males are larger than the females. White tigers have pure white or creamy fur with black or dark brown stripes along their body. They have blue eyes, rather than green or yellow like that of normal Bengal Tigers. The ears are semi-circular in shape, and the nose is pink in colour. With their appearance, they are often characterized as albino tigers, but this is not true. An albino tiger would be pure white, without any stripes. Controversy Surrounding Inbreeding The very rarity of these majestic creatures puts a lot of pressure on zoos to produce more and more white tigers. These beautiful animals make very popular exhibits, and help in increasing the zoo's traffic and revenue. Since white tigers are not found in the wild, they are multiplied by inbreeding. Most genetic defects tend to be recessive, and are generally masked by normal genes, but in this case, with the persistent inbreeding taking place, genetic problems are accumulating, and are amplified, resulting in high mortality rates and severe disabilities. Approximately 80% of the cubs die from serious birth defects as a result of inbreeding that is necessary to create the white coat. Out of the few that survive, most have apparent birth defects, like retinal degeneration, strabismus (cross eyes), scoliosis of the spine, cleft palates, and clubbed feet. Additionally, the other problems that are related to these tigers also include mental impairments like unpredictable behaviour and depression. Such inbreeding is not only disturbing; but also inhumane. The controversy involved establishments and individuals who claimed that they are trying to save or keep the species alive, or are simply manipulating the truth to keep their unethical activities running. Breeding of white tigers is just for the purpose of moneymaking, and benefits the tiger species in no way, most believe. 1 (a) Why is the white tiger not considered as a subspecies? …………………………………………………………………………………….……………………………… [1] (b) Why has the number of white tigers declined in the wild? Give two details? …………………………………………………………………………………….……………………………… [1] (c) When was the first written document about white tigers discovered? …………………………………………………………………………………….……………………………… [1] (d) Mention two physical features of a white tiger? …………………………………………………………………………………….……………………………… …………………………………………………………………………………….……………………………… [1] (e) What is the main difference between a white tiger and an albino tiger? …………………………………………………………………………………….……………………………… [1] (f) How do zoos benefit from the showcase of white tigers? Give two details? …………………………………………………………………………………….……………………………… …………………………………………………………………………………….……………………………… [2] (g) Persistent inbreeding causes negative effects? Give two details? …………………………………………………………………………………….……………………………… …………………………………………………………………………………….……………………………… [1] (h) What percent of the cubs survive and what happens to the remaining? …………………………………………………………………………………….……………………………… [1] [Total: 9] 2 Note-Making - The Bengal Tiger Read the following article about Bengal Tiger, and then complete the notes on the opposite page. Facts about the Bengal Tiger 3 quarters of Bengal tigers are found in India. However, a few other countries where they are found include Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh, Myanmar, China, Burma, and Tibet. According to the WWF, only 1,850 Bengal tigers are left in the wild, courtesy the deforestation and hunting practices of us human beings. Bengal tigers are well-known for their attractive physical appearance. Their back has beautiful black, gray, or brown vertical stripes, over a base color of reddish orange. The underside portion of their body and the inner side of the limbs and tail have a creamy white color. No tiger has the same pattern of stripes in their body. Like all wild animals, tigers also prefer to hunt in the dark. The stripes on their body often help them to hide in the shadows of wild grass, a natural camouflage that enables them to catch prey without being noticed. On an average, the size of a male Bengal tiger is about 3 meters, and it weighs about 250 kg. The female Bengal tigers are smaller than the males. So far, the heaviest recorded size of a Bengal tiger is 388.72 kg or 857 pounds. The Bengal tiger is the most numerous tiger subspecies, and the only one which is found in mangroves. Bengal tigers hunt down wild animals like pigs, deer, antelopes, buffaloes of medium to large size, to get their food. In one night, a Bengal tiger can eat almost 60-70 pounds of meat! They love to spend a lot of time in water. So, they often have this tendency to chase their prey into the water and kill it there. Bengal tigers are solitary creatures and love to live alone. They usually carry out activities like hunting and feeding on their own. They mark large areas of the forest as their territories with droppings, urine, and scratch marks of claws, to keep away other rival hunting tigers. Those tigers which are living in wild forests have an average lifespan of 8 -10 years. On the other hand, when living in a captivated environment, they are likely to survive for a slightly longer period of time which could be up to 15 years. These majestic creatures love to stay alone, however, there is an exception to this rule. Yes, they are seen with another tigers only during the time of mating. A female Bengal tiger attains sexual maturity at the age of 3 to 4 years, whereas the males are sexually matured when they are 4-5 years old. The gestation period of these tigers are just 98 to 110 days or roughly 3 months. The female tiger gives birth to 2 to 4 cubs at a time. Interestingly, these cubs are blind at the time of birth. The cubs start hunting at the age of around 18 months. They stay with the mother for two to three years, and leave when they are old enough to find their own territory. 3 You are going to give a talk about Bengal Tigers. Prepare some notes to use as the basis for your talk. Make your notes under each heading. Physical Characteristics …………………………….…………………………………………………..… …………………………….…………………………………………………..… …………………………….…………………………………………………..… Facts about Living in the Wild …………………………….…………………………………………………..… …………………………….…………………………………………………..… …………………………….…………………………………………………..… Facts related to Mating and Reproduction …………………………….…………………………………………………..… …………………………….…………………………………………………..… …………………………….…………………………………………………..… ……… [Total: 9] 4 Summary Writing – Save the Tiger Match the vocabulary with the correct definition and write a–h next to the numbers 1–8. 1…….. plan a) becoming less in number 2…….. illegal b) absolutely essential 3…….. declining c) extremely beautiful 4…….. conflict d) strong desire and determination to succeed 5…….. ambitious e) a detailed proposal of achieving something 6…….. expert f) a person who is very knowledgeable about or skillful in a particular area 7…….. magnificent g) something which is forbidden by law 8…….. vital h) a serious disagreement or argument The following sentences used the above words in context. Read the sentence and fill in the blanks using the correct word. a) It is ............................ that action must be taken to protect the tiger population. b) In most countries of the world killing endangered animals is ............................ c) The number of tigers has been ............................ in all of the forests due to mere human activity. d) The ............................ between tigers and humans have risen sharply in the last few decades. e) Many ............................ animals will soon disappear from the face of the planet if no serious action is taken. f) Sanjith Roy is an ............................ in tiger conservation. g) The WWF has a new ............................ for raising money to fund projects. h) WWF has an ............................ plan to double the tiger population by 2020. 5 Read the following account of an attempt to save the wild Asian tiger. On the opposite page, write a summary of the reasons for the decline in the number of tigers AND the steps being taken by the World Wildlife Fund to stop the decline.
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