Iran to import rare white tiger from Germany

An official at Iran’s Environment Protection Organization (IEPO) said a white tiger will be brought to Iran from Germany for public display at a zoo in Tehran.

The IEPO has given permission for the rare animal’s imports and Tehran’s Eram Zoo has paid for it, Ali Teimouri told Tasnim on Sunday.

He said inspection of the zoo has verified that the place designated for keeping the tiger is ready and in a good state.

Should Iran Veterinary Organization grant permission, the white tiger will be delivered this week, Teimouri noted.

The next plan is to import a Bengal tiger as a mate for another one being kept at the Eram Zoo, he added.

According to Big Cat Rescue, white tigers (a recessive mutant of the Bengal tiger) are produced by generations upon generations of inbreeding, a process that causes a lot of defects and deformities.

It is also important to remember that breeding of white tigers and lions can often be problematic.

In 2011, the American Zoological Association (AZA) formalized a ban on the breeding of white tigers, white lions and king cheetahs by their member zoos.

Moreover, like their colored brethren, white lions and white tigers have been threatened by hunting and habitat destruction, and are both believed to be almost extinct in the wild.