White tigers come at a costly price. You may be seeing a lot of them over the next few weeks, as the animal is this year’s mascot for the Winter Olympics! We thought it would be a great time to remind you about the history of white tigers in the wild and the plight they continue to face in captivity. White tigers are not a subspecies. Their coat color comes from an extremely rare genetic mutation. All white tigers are inbred, relatives of the first white tiger who was captured in the wild in the 1950s. Only one in every 30 white tigers bred are considered “show quality,” where they have pure white fur and jet black stripes. What happens to the other 29? As you’re enjoying the Games and see the adorable mascot named Shoohorang, please use your voice to spread the message!
