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Golden tiger |
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He is a wild animal |
Origin |
India | |
Translation |
Francis Vandersteen |
| The possession of this animal is not authorized Royal Decree establishing the list of mammals not kept for production purposes that may be kept (M.B. 24.08.2009) |
| The golden tiger is a tiger with an atypical coat color: the stripes are russet on a cream background and appear diluted. This very rare coloring is due to a recessive allele. All golden tigers are descended from the Bengal tiger (Panthera tigris tigris), but have generally been crossed with other subspecies, notably the Siberian tiger. An urban legend has it that the golden tiger is a natural cross between a Siberian tiger and a Bengal tiger, although one of its parents is often a white tiger from which it takes the whiteness of its paw tips. Although cases have been reported in the wild since the early 20th century in India, the golden tiger's coat is a disadvantage, as it doesn't allow it to hide effectively. There are no more than thirty in captivity. The first was born in 1983 to parents with a classic coat. Like the white tiger, golden tigers are very popular in zoos and circuses, and are sometimes the subject of a major breeding program. The golden tiger is not strictly speaking a tiger species, but the result of a rare depigmentation. Like the white tiger, which suffers from leucitism, the golden tiger suffers from ruffistism, which gives it a white coat with remnants of russet stripes. The golden tiger is indeed a Bengal tiger. Extremely rare, there are estimated to be fewer than 30 golden tigers in captivity worldwide. Although cases have been reported in the wild since the early 20th century in India, the golden tiger's coat is a disadvantage, as it doesn't allow it to hide effectively. There are no more than thirty in captivity. The first was born in 1983 to parents with a classic coat. Like the white tiger, golden tigers are very popular in zoos and circuses, and are sometimes the subject of a major breeding program. |
English (United Kingdom)