Stunning. Beautiful. The stuff of fantasies and fairy tales. These are all valid descriptions of the magical white tiger. There is no doubt that these impressive snowy creatures with ice-blue eyes arrest the attention of countless admirers. Their charm is such that few people ever question just what a white tiger really is.

Biologically speaking, the white color is caused by the expression of a rare recessive gene which occurs almost exclusively among bengal tigers, as opposed to other sub-species. White tigers are therefore not a distinct race, but a color variation from the standard orange bengal. Nor are they albinos: they have pigmentation in their eyes as well as in their stripes.

One of the reasons that white cubs are rare in the wild is that the color places them at a terrible disadvantage. Because they lack normal camoflage, which offers cubs some protection against predators, they rarely survive to adulthood.   The white gene is removed before it can be passed on to another generation. This explains why there is no population of wild white tigers. Nevertheless, we see increasing numbers of white tigers in captivity. Why?

There was one white tiger, named Mohan, who was taken from India in the 1950's. Most of the white tigers in captivity have been bred selectively from that one individual with the specific intent to produce white offspring. Because of the emphasis on producing white cubs, and the degree of inbreeding which was needed for the desired result, white tigers became known as likely candidates for congenital birth defects such as cleft palates.

Despite such problems the captive population of white tigers gradually increased to the point we know today.  They are frequently seen in the entertainment industry and zoos. There is no doubt that white tigers are popular and that money can be made by selling white cubs.

White tigers are sometimes described as 'endangered' which can be misleading. While it is fair to say they are endangered because they are tigers, and all tigers are threatened with extinction, it is strange to imply that they are endangered because they are white.  It is not that there are "not many left in the world" but, more realistically, of "not many which have been produced yet". White tigers are naturally rare in the wild.  In captivity they have been developed solely for their unusual coloration.

Can the production of white tigers in captivity be said to represent meaningful conservation or does it have more to do with the entertainment industry? Do white tigers help in some way to publicize and promote the preservation of their wild orange cousins?

These ethical questions ought to be considered. The negative side is that white tigers take up cage space which could be used for a critically endangered cat, such as the Sumatran tiger. On the other hand, by exciting the public and bringing more revenue to the parent facility, white tigers could assist conservation if such monies were tapped for cage building and range country conservation. To what extent this is being done, if at all, is anyone's guess. Certainly it is not done explicitly.

Some may argue that any animal which excites interest and enhances the goodwill of people towards wild animals is justifiable. Others are disappointed that the novelty value of a white cat compromises the popularity of the still fabulous orange tiger.  Still others regard it as a personal right to breed and sell whatever interests them.

Meanwhile the latest grim battles to save wild tigers from poachers are being fought far from the limelight. Whether you are pro-white tigers, or are left with doubts, perhaps everyone will agree on one thing: how regrettable it is that the heroic efforts of anti-poaching teams do not excite the same level of interest as the mere fact of a white tiger.