In the impression of Chinese, there are generally only two types of tigers, one is the Siberian tiger that grows in the three northeastern provinces, and the other is the South China tiger in south China.
The former still has a small number of wild populations, the latter has not found a wild trace for many years, it can be said that as long as it is a tiger, it is a national key protected animal in our country.
Recently, a new tiger species has been discovered in India, with a black-blue back, a large system and sharp eyes, and is known as the "Blue Tiger".
In addition to the blue color, this tiger is also one of the few in terms of number, from the relevant information query, the current number of people found on the earth may only be 6, and all in India.
The six tigers found in India today are likely to be another key conservation target in the tiger population.
Before that, let's take a look at when the Blue Tiger entered the sight of humans.
The place where the Blue Tiger was first discovered
In the past, there were also records of the Blue Tiger on the mainland, but the relevant records and photos have not been preserved.
The blue tiger's record in the relevant data can be described as: the body stripes are black vertical distribution, and the skin base color is mainly brownish yellow, supplemented by white. In addition , it appears bluish-black or dark blue in the area of the head that extends all the way to the dorsal area of the tail.
Between 1922 and 1925, an American named Cardwell recorded in his books that the Blue Tiger had been found several times in the Fujian region.
But one of the more uncertain conclusions is that there have not been any tigers of blue or blue-black colors in the world's current zoos, and most of the tigers are yellow-brown that we see in TV shows or zoos.
Then from 1950 to 1960, Tan Bangjie, as an expert in zoology, engaged in wildlife observation and photography for many years.
According to his account, he once saw blue tigers in the Miyun area of Beijing around the 1950s, and many villagers in Chenjiayu Village said they had seen blue and black tigers. At first, he thought that the color of ordinary tigers had changed, but he did not care too much, and Tan Bangjie also thought of going to Beijing's Miyun District to take precious photos of blue tigers, but for various reasons he could not go there.
In 1986, Tan Bangjie proposed at a meeting of tiger research and conservation organizations held in the United States that there were traces of blue tigers in Fujian, Sichuan, Hubei, Beijing and other regions of China, but it was rejected and questioned by many scholars, believing that this was completely absurd and unfounded.
But Tan Bangjie is very insistent on his own views, believing that what he has seen with his own eyes will not be wrong.
India is the first to appear in the Blue Tiger
Not only in China, but also in India around the 1970s, there were animal sanctuary staff who witnessed the presence of blue and black tigers, and they were two adult tigers.
In terms of walking posture, it is still in its prime, but due to the lack of powerful photos and videos, this statement has not yet been conclusive.
A true photo record of the Blue Tiger, dating back to 2007 in the Simripal National Park area of India, was captured by a camera in a tiger reserve.
From that photo, it can be clearly seen that it is not the appearance of an ordinary tiger, because the light is dim, and it can only be faintly seen that there is a darkness on the back, because the tiger's physique and color are unusual, and it is very similar to the blue tiger that was passed down by word of mouth before, which basically confirms the existence of the blue tiger.
India has rediscovered the Blue Tiger
Then, in late 2020, while taking a landscape photo in Simlipal Park, a photography enthusiast stumbled upon two blue tigers in the photo.
This is undoubtedly great news for the scientific community and wildlife conservation organizations, because the rarity of the Blue Tiger itself, combined with various folklore, makes such a rare and mysterious animal even more valuable.
According to data provided by the local Simripal Park in India, so far, a total of 6 blue tigers have been found in the tiger reserve, and all of them are in a healthy young adult period, and the tigers are strong and have the bloodiness of wild predation.
Hunt 300 pounds of wild boar and don't eat for a week
Due to the environmental factors of natural growth, blue tigers rarely take the initiative to hunt prey during the day, as a large cat, they prefer to kill their prey in the dark night at a speed that is too fast to cover their ears.
The main food source in the Blue Tiger Reserve is the native wild boar and deer, tigers are not much inferior to agile deer, the Blue Tiger's skeletal ligaments are unusually flexible, coupled with the surprising density of arm muscles, when hunting prey, can quickly change their route according to the direction of the prey's escape.
When hunting prey, it is often necessary to rely on their strong body to pounce on the prey, and then bite the throat of the prey with sharp teeth, which completely shows its strength as the "king of the hundred beasts".
But even the blue tiger, which is as strong as an ox, is a little powerless when facing a wild boar of more than 300 pounds! If you are successfully hunted, you can eat a full meal and do not need to eat again for almost a week!
Blue Tigers often do not choose to fight in a frontal hard way when killing wild boars, because the sharp fangs and fat body on the mouth of wild boars can completely compete with tigers in the process of frontal fighting.
Although tigers have better hunting and killing skills, they are still inevitably hit by wild boars, and wild boars often appear in groups, and when faced with a situation of fewer enemies and more enemies, the Blue Tigers cannot win every battle. Therefore, they often choose to hide in the dense grass, or from low trees, suddenly sneak out to kill the opponent.
Why are the numbers so small
As a mammal, it also faces genetic defects in inbreeding, because the blue tiger population is sparse, and it is extremely easy to affect the genes of its offspring when mating with other individuals, and the probability of genetic disease is also greater.
For example, it is not as good as its parents in body shape, short life expectancy, poor mobility, and serious problems such as muscle tissue atrophy.
Wildlife conservation groups are also pondering whether genetic cloning techniques are needed to maintain the population base of the Blue Tiger, or gene therapy techniques to improve the genetic disease problems of the Offspring of the Blue Tiger, or artificial insemination to greatly increase the reproduction rate of the Blue Tiger cubs.
Of course, no matter how it is, the ultimate purpose is to protect these rare wild animals and avoid their extinction.
summary
Although the tiger is such a ferocious beast, the first impression given to people is "terrible" and "fierce".
If you use an idiom to describe the terrible degree of tigers, many people should think of the historical allusion to the discoloration of tigers, for such a strong beast, but because of artificial hunting and endangerment,
Finally, I would like to call on everyone to resolutely resist the trafficking and theft of wild animals and their processed products, and to protect the diversity of species is the common responsibility of all of us.
For illegal trafficking in wild animals and other behaviors, it is necessary to report the case to the public security organs in a timely manner, resolutely crack down on the arrogance of illegal hunters, and maintain the relative balance of the ecological chain of species!