Cuba’s National Zoo is launching the country’s first white Bengal tiger, a rare pigment variant found only in captivity.
A double joy for the staff of the Cuban National Zoo when they welcomed the birth of 4 baby tigers on the island for the first time in more than 20 years, including a white individual named Yanek. .
Although they were born on March 12, the baby tigers were only made public a few days ago. Pictures taken on June 4 show they are strong enough to go out and play and use the pool to cool off.
“We are delighted with the birth of a white tiger in Cuba. This is the first time this has happened,” said Angel Cordero, an animal worker at the Cuban National Zoo. Yanek’s unusual coat color is due to a combination of two recessive genes from tiger parents Garfield and Fiona.
With Yanek, his siblings Melissa, Gaby and Miguel are doing well. “The four cubs are as aggressive as their mother. However, we love this ferocity because we want everything to be as natural as possible. We have no intention of taming the tigers,” zoo staff added. . .
Currently, the mother tiger Fiona receives 10 kg of meat per day, while each cub, already weighing between 8 and 11 kg, receives 2 kg of meat.
According to the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF), the white tiger is a rare pigmented variant of the Bengal tiger with no known cases in the wild. Only a few dozen survive in captivity.
The Bengal tiger is currently listed as endangered by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature. The wild population has grown from 100,000 in 1900 to just 3,900 today. “Much more needs to be done if we are to secure the future of the species,” WWF said.
