There are only several hundred stunning White Tigers left in the world and most of them are in captivity. There is no question that zoos and animal parks find this tiger breed to be a huge attraction for the public. One only has to look at the pictures of these magnificent animals to understand why. Their ghost-like appearance projects their spirits.

In fact, according to Wikipedia, the White Tiger species has a rich history and were worshiped by many cultures:

“White tigers form part of tradition in some regions. In China, the white tiger was revered as the god of the West, Baihu. The white tiger is represented on the South Korean flag in the Yin and Yang emblem, the white tiger as evil opposite of the green dragon for good. According to Indian superstition, the slayer of a white tiger would die within a year and the white tiger was regarded as the incarnation of a Hindu god. Sumatran and Javan royalty claimed descent from white tigers, and white tigers were regarded as the reincarnations of royalty.”

While the few living tigers have been introduced to the world through zoos, the zoos’ breeding programs are a source of great controversy. Dr. Ron Tilson, Conservation Director of the Minnesota Zoo, says on an Indian Tiger Web site:

"The white tiger controversy among zoos is a small part ethics and a large part economics. The tiger Species Survival Plan has condemned breeding white tigers because of their mixed ancestry, most have been hybridized with other subspecies and are of unknown lineage, and because they serve no conservation purpose. Owners of white tigers say they are popular exhibit animals and increase zoo attendance and revenues as well. Similar rationalization can be applied to the selective propagation of white lions, king cheetahs and other phenotypically aberrant animals."

"However, there is an unspoken issue that shames the very integrity of zoos, their alleged conservation programs and their message to the visiting public. To produce white tigers or any other phenotypic curiosity, directors of zoos and other facilities must continuously inbreed father to daughter and father to granddaughter and so on. At issue is a contradiction of fundamental genetic principles upon which all Species Survival Plans for endangered species in captivity are based. White tigers are an aberration artificially bred and proliferated by some zoos, private breeders and a few circuses who do so for economic rather than conservation reasons."

There is no question that there is a lot of truth to the doctor’s words. But once you see a white tiger, you want to see them again. One can only hope that a serious program can be developed to reintroduce the white tiger into the wild so that it can return to its rightful place in the world. In a world of diminishing natural resources and protections for wildlife, I am afraid that we will experience many more moral dilemmas of this type.