A wildlife photographer, Gaurav Ramnarayanan, captured rare photos of a golden tiger in Kaziranga National Park in India.
Ramnarayanan said, “Initially when I saw him, he looked really white and didn’t look like a normal (Bengal) tiger.”
“I’ve seen enough tigers to realize at the first glance that this one was not regular,” he continued.
A rare ‘golden’ tiger photographed in India is worrying conservationists who believe it could be a sign of inbreeding in isolated tiger populations. If true, it could lead to genetic mutations that weaken the tiger’s defense against diseases. https://t.co/vnkYZGTOp1 pic.twitter.com/8s8LVQC828
— Yahoo News (@YahooNews) February 16, 2024
“The tiger decided to come towards us, not with any intention for attack or any intention to harm us, but purely to pass through his path and proceed with marking his territory,” recalled the photographer.
Golden tigers result from a genetic mutation that prolongs yellow pigment production, making their stripes lighter in color.
They are exceptionally rare in the wild, found in less than 1 in 10,000 cubs, indicating possible inbreeding from fragmented tiger populations.
Kaziranga is home to around 70% of Assam’s tigers but development is isolating them.
The park claims to have 4 golden tigers, concerning experts that genetic drift from small populations could be increasing rare traits’ appearance.
While golden coloring likely doesn’t impact health, inbreeding may cause issues over time.
Conservationists stress the need to improve habitat connectivity to support genetically diverse tiger communities.
The photographer hopes to raise awareness about protecting wildlife diversity.
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