One the pyramid from left to right are Snow(Issons sister) Ari, Tony, Bagherra, Frosty, Isson, and gold Nicky. The two gold tigers in the front left is Kahn and Rajah, brothers to Frosty, son's if Sheba. Sitting up on the left are Rohni, Rema, Bengali. Sitting up on the right are Targa, Baby, and Kashmir. Tony, Ari, Isson, 3 generations of white. Was able to have 5 evenually until Tony was retired in 1987, and shortly after he died of lung cancer.
I mentioned to Paul that somebody was sending me a picture with Tony, Ika, Frosty, Ari, and Bagheera. The picture came, and it isn't with Ika. It is a later photo with Isson. Mary Ann send me a letter with a wonderful fact that I wasn't aware of. As many of you may gather, I was not you typical "Toby Tyler" fall in love with the circus, and jump out the window and run away with it. Possibly why my glasses are not so "rose colored". My passion since I was a child on the farm, has been animal behavior and husbandry. I was working at a zoo in Florida when I was 18, when I saw my first circus, and the opportunity it presented to both train and care for animals. In the small state of North Dakota, there are only 2 zoo's. The Bismark Zoo, and the Minot Zoo. When I was young I would get to the Bismark Z00 4 or 5 times a year. They had a Grizzly, "rumored" to be the Largest in the world. Typical roadside chain link zoo only open in the summer, due to the harsh winters. The Minot zoo was a bit bigger, and to me it was at least the Bronx, because it had buildings and was open year round. We went there once a year, and it was a big deal. I saw my first tiger there, and he died after a couple of years, and they had no tigers for a number of years, and being young I always wished I could give them a new one.
I had a lump in my throat when I read Mary Anns letter saying that Kubla was at the Minot Zoo. I raised and trained Kubla's father Isson, so maybe, although late, I can think I did gave them a tiger. Thank you Paul and Mary Ann for the White Tiger stories.
Saturday, April 26, 2008
Hawthorn White Tigers--Tokyo, Japan--1983
Posted by
Wade G. Burck
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7 comments:
Was Bagheera deaf? Why was he (or she?) never bred?
Paul,
She never, ever came into estrous. She lived with Tony all her life, and when the other female were in estrous, and Tony was a slobbering, horned up bull, he would "volunteer" estrous or no estrous his "charms" to Bagheera. And each time, she would not so respectfully decline. I never knew if it was physiological or personality. In hindsight, given her severely crossed eyes, the worst I have seen, it was for the better. Maybe she knew something us experts didn't?
Wade
Addendum to Paul,
When "Baggy" was offered the services of younger boys, Ika and Ari, she also declined. Proving that she was a tiger and not a cougar!!!
Wade
Hi Wade!
Be careful only to say nice things about cougars.
Mary Ann
Mary Ann,
It was with all due respect. I had an tiger training "cougar" puff her "store boughts" up one day, and demand, "do you know who I am?" I have been respectful ever sense. LOL
Wade
Wade, you say that in hindsight it was probably for the best that Bagheera never mated. While I have always thought that it was terribly sad that Ika killed Rewati, they probably would have produced horrible specimens of cubs.
Mary Ann
Wade-Was Bagheera the one who's face was pictured in the Sports Illustrated? That one seems extremely cross eyed. I also noticed in the Sports Illustrated that you had a framed picture of the white gorilla on your wall, along with one of white tigers, one of white lions, and one of a king cheetah.
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