Is white tiger an endangered animal?

Question

what does hunters huntwhite tigers for?

Answer 1

White tigers are not a different species or subspecies - they are simply Bengal tigers (Panthera tigris tigris) with a genetic condition called leucism, which results in reduced pigmentation. This is not the same as albinism, which is a complete lack of pigment - an albino tiger is all white, with no stripes, and has pink eyes, not blue. All tigers, regardless of subspecies or colour, are endangered due to the actions of human beings. There are fewer white tigers in the wild than normally coloured ones, but that is the natural state of things - leucism is passed on by recessive genes, so there is a smaller chance of white individuals being born, and the condition is generally detrimental to the animal. Few of the few white cubs that are born survive, since their colour makes them stand out to predators - most are killed as cubs. Those that do survive to adulthood have a hard time hunting for the same reason - their colour makes it easier for their prey to see them coming. White tigers are common in captivity, however, as they are a draw for zoos and wildlife parks. Unfortunately this has resulted in some unscrupulous breeding over the years - many captive white tigers are inbred, and can suffer the detrimental results. Since they would not be suitable for reintroduction to the wild, zoos would better serve conservation efforts by breeding normally-coloured tigers with healthy genes to bring to wild populations, should the need for reintroduction to the wild occur.

Answer 2

White tigers are just white individuals of tiger species which also include orange individuals.  At least some of these species are endangered

Answer 3

White tigers of the same species as "regular" tigers, Panthera tigris.  The white coloration is caused by a recessive allele.

There should be no efforts to try to "save" white tigers by breeding since in order to get the white coloration you need to inbreed the tigers, creating major genetic complications for the individuals.  If you'd like to learn about the problems caused by breeding to create white tigers, look at: http://www.bigcatrescue.org/cats/wild/wh...