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Golden TabbyAn extremely rare coloration, recognized by some experts, but considered an aberration by others, is that of the golden tiger, most commonly known as the golden tabby and sometimes referred to as a strawberry tiger. No official name has been designated for the color. The golden tabby's white coat and gold patches make it stand out from the norm. The striping on these tigers is much paler than usual and often fades into spots or large prominent patches. Tabbies tend to be larger and have softer fur than their orange relatives. As is the case with white tigers, the unusual golden color is caused by a separate and distinct recessive gene. At last count there were less than 30 of these rare tigers in the world. Like their white cousins all golden tabby tigers are believed to have a Bengal parentage, though most are genetically polluted with the genes of other subspecies, commonly the Amur tiger. The suggestion that this coloration is caused through the deliberate breeding of Amur tigers with Bengal tigers is a popular myth. The golden tabby in the wild India has records of wild golden tigers which date back as far as the early 1900s. There have been suggestions that the tendency for this coloration gradually developed in a small group of tigers living in an area of heavy clay concentration. The unusual color would provide these tigers with extra camouflage. The theory remains unproven. It is now unlikely this color will occur in the wild and survival for any tabby tigers which did occur would be perilous. Due to their coat color cubs would be more obvious to predators and adults stand out to potential prey. Captive births The first golden tiger cub born in captivity was in 1983 and this came from standard-colored Bengal tigers. Probably the best documented birth of a golden tabby occurred on October 23, 1998 at Dreamworld Australia. Here, the Year of the Tiger was celebrated with the birth of four cubs. Samara, an orange-colored tigress, had been mated with a white male, Mohan. Her litter included two orange cubs, along with the first white tiger born in Australia and the first tabby-colored tiger for that country. The tabby was the only female; she and her brothers weighed in at around 1.5 kilograms and measured approximately 30 centimeters in length. The cubs were removed from their mother soon after birth and were hand raised. The births and hand-raising process were filmed and presented in an hour long documentary. Combination litters Births like Dreamworld's where the cubs are of differing colors are not particularly unusual. Golden tabby tigers in zoos Few zoos have ever encountered or held possession of a golden tabby and many have no knowledge of the color. Because of this it tends to appear by accident rather than planning. Though golden tabbies are not deliberately bred for by zoos they have joined the white tiger in becoming popular for use in stage shows and similar events.
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