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Abstract:
The white tiger is a rare variant of the Bengal tiger (Panthera tigris tigris) representing a star attraction in many zoos around the world. While the earliest sightings in the jungles of the Indian subcontinent were recorded in the 1500s, the last report of an individual seen in the wild dates back to more than fifty years ago: Indeed, the trade of exotic animals, trophy hunting, and habitat destruction have contributed to heavily reducing the wild population. All white tigers kept in captivity today are likely descends of Mohan, a male white tiger captured in 1951 in the former State of Rewa, now part of the Republic of India. Moreover, in an attempt to maintain the trait, they are highly inbred, leading to inbreeding depression-related health problems.
