TW: mentions of inbreeding and animal ab*se Zoo keepers, tiger owners, and more like to claim that tigers such as golden tigers, white tigers, snow white tigers, and black tigers are simply a rare species or kind of tiger. However, this is not true, and often can be linked to inbreeding and animal ab*se. Golden, white, snow white and black tigers aren't technically unnatural-the gene for each of these is natural, and they do exist in the wild, though usually just as a carrier, a tiger who has the gene but doesn't physically show it. In the wild, however, these genes are recessive. Recessive genes mean you need *two* of these genes, one from each parent, for them to show physically. Such as red hair-both parents need to have the gene in order for their child to. But because these genes naturally are so rare, it's often nearly impossible for two tigers with the same gene to meet in the wild and have a baby with both recessive genes-especially considering two carriers, tigers who have the gene but don't show it physically, will only have an about 25% chance of having a baby with the recessive gene. The gene's themselves are 100% natural, and they're rare and recessive, so in the wild the almost never line up in a way that produces white, golden, or other unusual colors of tigers. However, people obviously love the look of these special tigers. Because of this, not all but a lot of breeders will intentionally inbreed tigers, sometimes over multiple generations, just to guarantee this fancy rare coat. When animals are inbred, the same genes can pair up not only for the fancy coat color, but for other traits that are normally hidden. This can bring out defects that would rarely appear in a genetically diverse population. This can cause many issues. Here are a few. Skeletal and limb problems: -Misaligned or malformed bones -Twisted spines or tails -Legs that don't grow properly/different sized limbs Facial and head issues: -Cleft palate (gap in the roof of the mouth) -Misshapen skulls -Eye problems like strabismus (crossed eyes) or poor coordination Weak organs and immune system: -heart defects -Kidney or liver problems -Lower resistance to infections Reproductive issues: -Reduced fertility -Higher rates of miscarriage or stillbirth -Higher chances for weak cubs/cubs dying young Neurological issues: -Tremors or difficulty with coordination -Learning and behavioral issues And often, these tigers produced aren't even pretty-with so many defects, they can appear 'ugly' and not something that people want to look at. Often we're only fed the pretty, romanticized pictures of these mutated tigers-and because of this, aren't aware of what can actually be happening. Even though not all tigers with these genetic mutations are cruelly bred, they often can be, and it's something that needs to be stopped; we should celebrate these tigers when they do come around, and not inbreed them to forcibly give them these patterns.
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