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The White Tiger Fraud

Did you know the only way to produce a white tiger is through severe inbreeding of brother to sister, father to daughter and mother to son?

Did you know that there is no such species as a Royal White Bengal Tiger?

If you didn't know that, don't feel bad, you were deceived just like millions of others.  Read on to learn the truth about white tigers, white lions, tabby tigers and other genetic aberrations.  Print the White Tiger Fact Sheet Brochure

 

 

To see a 5 minute video clip about the rescue of the white tiger on this page, some baby cubs and others click HERE.  Click to see the video called White Tiger Myth Buster.

Over the years many people have asked us to take white tigers off their hands, but in every case it was only so they could breed more babies to use, so we declined. For years we have railed against supporting facilities that breed and exhibit white tigers because of the abuse involved in producing them. White Tigers can ONLY exist in captivity by continual inbreeding, such as father to daughter, brother to sister, mother to son and so forth. The white lions and golden tabby tigers are merely a product of this practice of inbreeding for white coats as well and are not being bred for any sort of conservation program either. ALL white tigers are cross eyed, whether it shows or not, because the gene that causes the white coat always causes the optic nerve to be wired to the wrong side of the brain.  That is why white tigers are such a favorite of the tiger-tamer-wanabees;  they are far more dependant upon their masters.  (See genetics and time line of the inbreeding below)

The myth of the Rare White Bengal Tiger was an illusion meant to deceive the public into thinking that these cats were endangered and being preserved for future generations. The truth of the matter is that they aren’t even pure Bengal tigers, but rather are all the offspring of an original Siberian / Bengal cross breeding. The inbreeding results in many defects, early deaths, still births and, as could be expected, the cats are not very bright which is why they are preferred for entertainment purposes.

To quote from Dr. Ron Tilson, Conservation Director of the Minnesota Zoo and manager of the world renown Tiger Species Survival Plan, "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. The same rationalization can be applied to the selective propagation of white lions, king cheetahs and other phenotypically aberrant animals."
 

"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."

"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."

As for breeding tigers of any color, Ron Tilson says, “For private owners to say, ‘We’re saving tigers,’ is a lie,” Tilson says. “They are not saving tigers; they’re breeding them for profit.”

Tilson says the exotic animal market is a multimillion dollar industry, ranking just below the illegal drug trade and just above the illegal gun market.

Tilson says tigers are the most charismatic animal on earth. Their appeal is universal. “They are the alpha predator who used to kill and eat us,” he says. “We cannot help but be in awe of their power and grace. Tigers represent everything fine and decent and powerful. Everything those people would like to be. It’s all an ego trip—big guns, big trucks, and big tigers.”

 

...most have such profound birth defects, such as immune deficiency, scoliosis of the spine (distorted spine), cleft palates, mental impairments and grotesquely crossed eyes that bulge from their skull...

Consider this: Only 1 in 4 tiger cubs from a white tiger bred to an orange tiger carrying the white gene are born white, and 80% of those die from birth defects associated with the inbreeding necessary to cause a white coat. Of those surviving, most have such profound birth defects, such as immune deficiency, scoliosis of the spine (distorted spine), cleft palates, mental impairments and grotesquely crossed eyes that bulge from their skull that only a small percentage are suitable for display. Due to these birth defects the white tigers often die an early death.  According to some tiger trainers, only 1 in 30 of those white cats will consistently perform. The number of tigers that have to be produced and disposed of in order to fill the public’s desire to see white tigers on display is staggering.

Big Cat Rescue has never taken in a white tiger before because we did not want to enable people to dispose of their “defective” cats and cause so much more suffering and abuse by having an easy dumping ground for the cats who didn’t serve them.

Even though Zabu is black and white, the decision of whether or not to rescue her was not. When Zabu and Cameron’s plight came to our attention we had to think long and hard about whether or not we would have a white tiger on our tour. We didn’t want to be perceived as using a white tiger to draw visitors.

Many times on our tours we tell guests about the fraud that has been promoted to the public about white tigers and talk about all of our golden tigers who ended up unwanted and abandoned at our door because they were the wrong color. Now we were considering turning away a white tiger because she was the wrong color. In her case the facility was being shut down and by rescuing her we were not enabling the owner to breed more and we were keeping a cat of prime breeding age from falling into the hands of people who would breed her to death.

Every year we have to turn away hundreds of big cats. Please do not support those who breed these majestic animals for a life of cruel confinement. No animal, especially a tiger, belongs in a cage.

Carole Baskin, Founder Big Cat Rescue

Next White Tiger Page

 

 

 

Help Save Takoma the Bobcat

Takoma the bobcat was rescued from a fur farm in 1995. Escaping with only the fur on his back, he went on to become the bobcat leader for the other 21 bobcats who were rescued that day. Being the alpha cat in a tribe that large is a demanding job. It isn't just about being the first one to check out every meal's rations, and to be the first one to greet Volunteers and Guests, to insure your crew's safety, but it is also about keeping the peace with all of the others in your pride. As the purr-sonalities grew, so did the conflicts and cats had to get their own cages, but four of them have stayed together all these years. Takoma, Apache (his one-lunged sidekick,) Divinity and Selena. This past week Takoma was lethargic to the point of pure exhaustion. When Big Cat Rescuers came in to net him for diagnostics, they didn't even need a net. His "sister", our Pres., Jamie Veronica, was able to just pick him up and put him in the carrier.

Dr. Liz Wynn DVM did x-rays, blood tests, a biopsy of his liver and a sonogram. We feared cancer as the sonogram showed the liver to be in very bad shape, but chronic inflammatory liver disease was the diagnosis and it is manageable via medications and intensive care. Some researchers have noted that chronic inflammatory disease in the liver can cause changes in the brain which lead to fatigue and personality changes. These diseases can also interfere with the function of various organs, and in many cases, the inflammation can spread across the body. Takoma is 15 years old, which is old for a bobcat, but some of our bobcats have lived into their twenties, so we hope to give him a few more years of good health.

That's where YOU come in. We rely on your donations to provide top notch medical care to our cats and we are always grateful to our donors for anything they can do to help. You can make a donation in our secure online store here: http://www.bigcatrescue.biz/servlet/the-509/The-%22Every-Bit-Helps%22/Detail or you can buy raffle tickets below in the amount you would like to donate and maybe be a lucky winner.

Raffle Tickets for Bucs Club Seats

Exclusive separate entrance - Padded seats
Access to Club Lounge! Note: Winner agrees not to resell.
CALL 813-920-4130 TO PURCHASE TICKETS
Your raffle tickets remain in drawing for
2 tickets to each of the following home games:
Jaguars Saturday August 28 at 7:30 pm
Browns Sunday September 12 at 1:00 pm
Steelers Sunday September 26 at 1:00 pm
Saints Sunday October 17 at 1:00 pm
Rams Sunday October 24 at 1:00 pm

Raffle tickets 1 for $5, best deal 10 for $20 (only $2 each!)
Drawing at Big Cat Rescue Trading Post three days before each game at 4:30 pm.
Do not need to be present to win. We will write your name and phone number on your tickets.

Official Raffle Rules and Disclosures: Big Cat Rescue Corp. is a 501(c)(3) non profit organization located at 12802 Easy Street, Tampa, FL 33625. Tickets are available to the general public subject to the terms and conditions set forth herein. Multiple entries permitted, maximum 100 tickets per person. Need not be present to win. Winners will be contacted at the telephone number and/or address provided on the ticket stub. Illegible tickets are the responsibility of the participant. Big Cat Rescue will make reasonable efforts to contact the winner based on the information provided, but failure to receive notice because the ticket stub is not clearly legible is the responsibility of the participant. Prize must be claimed within 2 days of the attempt to notify the winner or is forfeited. Name of winner may be obtained by calling 813-920-4130. Must be 18 years of age or older to participate. Winner is responsible for any state, local and/or Federal taxes. Drawing to be held at approximately 4:30 PM three days before each game by random chance by hand from a container. No purchase or contribution necessary. To request a ticket without donation mail a self addressed stamped envelope to Big Cat Rescue. Limit one request per outer envelope mailed separately per person. Requests must be received by 9/20/10. All federal, state, and local laws and regulations apply. Void where prohibited by law.

Domestic Cat Rescues Baby Bobcats!

 

With a gun in one hand and a sack of bobcat kittens in the other, an Alabama hunter proudly plopped the newborns down on the counter and asked the veterinary assistant to raise them up for him so he could give them to his kids as pets.

The vet tech was stunned, but quickly recomposed herself to tell the hunter she would do it for him so as to rescue the babies from such an awful fate. She immediately began scouring the Internet for an expert in rehab and release. When she called Carole Baskin of Big Cat Rescue it was agreed that the kittens would come to Florida, be raised for re-release back to the wild and the paperwork began.

It took three days to secure the Florida import permit and time was of the essence. The only kitten formula available to the clinic was one that often causes serious dehydration in bobcat kittens. The second more critical factor was that their eyes would be opening any day and if they were to ever live free it was imperative that they not bond to humans. They never make good pets, but the bonding that takes place during the nursing stage could make them fearless of people and that would get them into trouble as adults.

While Big Cat Rescue President and resident Rehabber, Jamie Veronica, hit the road to begin a 24 hour road trip to rescue the baby bobcats, Big Cat Rescue put out a call to all of the Tampa animal based charities and on all of their social networks that they needed a nursing mother cat who had kittens of her own. Jack Talman of FosteringIsCool.com found a mother cat but her kittens were too old and she was going into heat so there was concern that she may not have milk nor interest for new babies.

Big Cat Rescuer, Merrill Kramer, called on Rick Chaboudy, CEO of Suncoast Animal League in Palm Harbor, FL and he said he thought he had a good candidate. Her name was Bobbi because of her half tail and she had given birth to 6 kittens of her own and then adopted two more. He found foster parents for all but two of the kittens and brought Bobbi and her brood over to see what she thought of diversifying her family.

Introductions like these can be very scary because the mother cat can be overly protective of her own kittens and fatally strike out at the new comers.  President, Jamie Veronica, has had a considerable amount of experience in this area though and had taken every precaution to make sure it went as well as it possibly could.  Bobbi turned out to be a dream come true for three little orphaned bobcats though.  She immediately pulled them in close to nurse and began to bathe them.  The little bobcat babies were so startled that they hissed at her!
She ignored their resistance and just kept on loving on them.  Once they figured out that this strange smelling "bobcat" mom had the real deal to offer at her breasts, they were in love too. 

You can follow their progress on our facebook fan page here: http://bit.ly/6zlAgy and on http://twitter.com/bigcatrescue

See photos of them on our FlickR site.

See the press they have been getting, including CNN, AOL, The Today Show, TV Guide, ABC, FOX, NBC and more on our FlickR site.

See video of them on YouTube here:

Press Link to Use

Animal Lover's Dream Vacation Giveaway

You and a guest could win 4 Days/ 3 Nights at the Sirata Beach Resort, a St. Pete Beach front Hotel, Airfare, Big Cat Rescue Keeper Tour, Dolphin Watch Cruise, and more!   Print flier HERE

Your Keeper Tour includes walking the 45 acre sanctuary and meeting many of the 100+ exotic cats who call Big Cat Rescue home. Most were formerly bred to be coats, seized by police, abandoned or abused. You will be allowed to help our Keepers make treats to hand out and will be witness to the feeding of the great cats.

Spend time with the Founder on a private tour. See more species of cats all in one place than you probably even knew existed. 15 species of wild cat currently have a forever home at the sanctuary.

Name
Email
Cell Phone

 

 

Random drawing on March 15th, 2011 determines winner. Must book your vacation within one year of winning. Vacation dates good on week days only. Some substitutions may apply in case of venues being unavailable, but will be comparable. We want this to be the experience of your life so that you will be telling everyone about your Animal Lover's Dream Vacation!

Or mail your name, address, email and mobile phone number to Big Cat Rescue 12802 Easy Street Tampa, FL 33625 813.920.4130 fax 813.885.4457 Mark your entry:  Dream Vacation.

Restrictions:

Limit one entry per valid U.S. cell phone number.

Void where prohibited.

Must be 18 years old to win.

Airfare limited to the continental U.S., no weekends and some black out dates apply.

Winner will be notified via their cell phone

Video of the Week

Check out more than 300 big cat videos HERE

CFC Participant? Generous donations through the CFC program have become one of our major sources of funding. Our CFC number is 10766. On behalf of the cats, sincere thanks to the many Federal employees who have helped us provide the best possible home for the cats by donating through this program.

Big Cat Times Magazine!  Check out the most recent issue of The Big Cat Times in this online magazine format HERE

August Issue of AdvoCat:  The latest edition of the AdvoCat, our monthly E-zine is HERE

Win an Animal Lover's Dream Vacation: If you love animals, you have got to see this fabulous trip HERE

Follow us on Twitter and see what is happening moment by moment at Big Cat Rescue and in the world of lions, tigers, bobcats and other exotic wildcats. @BigCatRescue

 

Other Ways You Can Help Today

 

Big Cat Credit Card

You can give more without spending more by turning your everyday spending into meaningful donations with a customized Big Cat Rescue Capital One credit card.  Share your passion and donate to Big Cat Rescue with your everyday purchases. We've partnered with Capital One® Card Lab Connect to bring you our newest fundraising program, which helps us earn money doing what you do every day! Just carry one of our custom credit cards (it comes with a competitive rate and no annual fee), and 1% of purchases made with the card will be donated to Big Cat Rescue.

Not only will you be donating to the cats with each purchase you make, you'll be helping to spread the word when people see your wildly unique card, designed specifically for Big Cat Rescue.  Three custom cards are currently available featuring Cameron the lion, Cheetaro the leopard, and Shere Khan & China Doll the tigers!  What a great way to share the cats' stories every time you pull out your credit card.  Tell others too by downloading Credit Card Flyer

Sharing your passion and your support is easy and automatic. Apply today! 

https://www.cardlabconnect.com/Big Cat Rescue

 

 

Text $5 From Your Phone

To donate $5 that will appear on your cell phone bill, put 20222 in the TO line and the word Tiger in the body of the text message. You will receive a text message back asking to confirm your donation. Or you can type your cell number into the box below to have a $5 donation added to your phone bill. 

A one-time donation of $5 will be added to your mobile phone bill or deducted from your prepaid balance.  Messaging & Data Rates May Apply. All charges are billed by and payable to your mobile service provider.  Service is available on most carriers. Donations are collected for the benefit of the “Big Cat Rescue”  by the Mobile Giving Foundation and subject to the terms found at www.hmgf.org/t. You can unsubscribe at any time by replying STOP to short code “20222”; Reply HELP to “20222” for help.

 

 

 

Big Cat Rescue is an educational sanctuary and a home for more than 100 big cats  12802 Easy St. Tampa, FL 33625 813.920.4130 Info@bigcatrescue.org