White Siberian Tiger
Interesting Facts about the White Siberian Tiger
In the dense birch forests of eastern Russia, a rare and elusive treasure can be found: the white Siberian tiger. There are some interesting facts associated with this large and infrequently seen creature that some feel to be a myth.
The white Siberian tiger is an aberration of the Siberian tiger in both color and size. A recessive gene that produces a lighter color is responsible for the pristine fur coat, which does include bands of stripes although paler in color than on their orange relatives. Negating the common myth that the white Siberian tiger is actually an albino are the facts that the animals do have colored stripes, pink noses and foot pads along with eyes of blue, amber or green. Albinos would possess none of these features.
Their furry coats are thick and dense to protect the cats against the harsh winter conditions of the area, and a layer of fat underneath the skin acts as an insulator as well. The drive to hunt for prey that migrates from area to area keeps the white Siberian tiger on the move, with a territorial range than can extend up to 150 miles for females and well over 300 miles for the males. The largely unpopulated forested area in Russia provides uninhibited movement for the cat with little human intervention.
Although the Siberian tiger as a whole is known to be the largest cat within the tiger subspecies, the white Siberian tiger is even larger than the traditional orange cat both at birth and full grown size. Powerful predators, they feast upon kills of cattle, pigs, elk and deer among other animals which are brought down after a patient ambush with a mighty leap.
Cubs of the white Siberian tiger can number anywhere from 1 to 5 per litter, and are born blind and helpless. After 3 months, young cubs will begin to venture from the den in the presence of their mother who continues to feed them. It isn’t until the cubs reach approximately 2 years old that they will become independent of the mother and leave her to form their own territory. A white cub will only result if two of the recessing genes are inherited: an unlikely event. It is for this reason that this beautiful creature is rare in the wild.
Myths that follow the white Siberian tiger are varied. One belief is that anyone who sets their sight upon a white tiger is doomed for death. Another is that body parts of the tiger have medicinal and spiritual powers for humans. Both of these myths have caused dire consequences for the cat, as poaching runs rampant as people attempt to save themselves from death by killing the animal for one of the two reasons.
Far from mythical, the white Siberian tiger is, however, a treasure rarely seen in the wild. Thanks to conservation efforts by many, there is hope that some day there will be natural reoccurrences of the breeding of this majestic creature.