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Should white tigers return to the wild?

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    #2
    OpenYourEyes
    Moderators, Recreation & Hobbies Moderators, Science, Health & Environment Moderators Posts: 3,068 Mod ✭✭✭✭OpenYourEyes


    I can't help but feel if White Tigers were reintroduced to the wild that they would be targeted for their fur even more so than normal-coloured tigers are


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    #3
    Adam Khor
    Moderators, Science, Health & Environment Moderators Posts: 5,279 Mod ✭✭✭✭Adam Khor


    I think right now there's more demand for their bones than for their fur :(


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    #4
    Hollzy
    Registered Users Posts: 354 ✭✭Hollzy


    If the white tigers were reintroduced I think the fur could attract a lot of unwanted attention all the same. It would be incredibly rare and therefore expensive so a white tiger fur coat could be quite a status symbol in some areas. There seems to be a lot of demand for tiger furs in Tibet.

    Even if they weren't actually preferred, they'd probably be easier to find. They make a point about the prey being colourblind but the poachers aren't. Actually on the topic of that statement about colourblind prey; surely white would still be more noticeable because it stands out more from the background? The prey species can surely pick out different shading?


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    #5
    Adam Khor
    Moderators, Science, Health & Environment Moderators Posts: 5,279 Mod ✭✭✭✭Adam Khor


    Hollzy wrote: »
    Actually on the topic of that statement about colourblind prey; surely white would still be more noticeable because it stands out more from the background? The prey species can surely pick out different shading?

    As far as I know, deer don´t really have much visual acuity or sharpness, but they are very good at detecting movement. Maybe they react more to sudden motion than to shape or shade to detect possible dangers. And they certainly pay more attention to sound than to sight. (Ever mimicked a chital deer's tiger alarm in front of a zoo herd? The results are rather interesting, especially since said deer had probably never seen a tiger in their lives...)
    The fact that adult white tigers were around at all means their color didn´t necessarily hinder their ability to hunt (even if it did make them more noticeable to human hunters :()


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