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Is there any ethical validation for inbreeding White Tigers?

 
 
Noesis
 
Reply Sat 12 Dec, 2009 03:10 am
I am not sure how many people are familiar with the White Tiger Dilemma; but to sum it up, there is an enormous debate centered upon how they are bred. White Tigers are not their own species, and do not occur naturally in nature, and the white coloring can be attributed to a special pair of recessive genes on their chromosomes. Thus, White Tigers are almost exclusively a result of excessive and experimental inbreeding. This is done in captivity, and has gone on for generations.

Long story short, there is something like a 20% survival rate, and only a percent of that comes out successfully. There is an even larger population of failed attempts, and these rejections are kept out of the public eye. The poor creatures come out horribly deformed and disfigured, undergo a handful of physical setbacks, suffer numerous birth defects, and endure a fair amount of pain.

Can you think of any good reasons to continue manipulating this animals existence, aside from the fact that they are pretty and that we like to look at them? I realize no one really wants to see the creature simply die out; but humanity is more or less forcing them to exist, and condemning them to a life of suffering.

It probably sounds pretty obvious how I feel; but I was appalled when I heard this story, and I would to hear some reactions and any suggested pros and cons, when considering our duties, consequences, and virtues.

This is Kenny the inbred White Tiger http://www.bigcatrescue.org/images/t...rDeformed3.jpg

Thank You; I await your feedback.
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Merry Andrew
 
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Reply Sat 12 Dec, 2009 11:32 am
I had always assumed that white tigers were like human albinos -- a very small minority whose unusual appearance is due to a genetic difficiency. I had likewise assumed that, from time to time, they can be found among the population in the wild.

I have no opinion on the practice of inbreeding which you describe as it's the first I've heard of it and all I know about it is what you have alleged.

There is a white tiger family at the Hilo Zoo on the Big Island of Hawaii where I live. I've seen them come out of the bush at feeding time and they seem quite normal (except for the lack of coloration) and quite content.
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