A rare “pale tiger”, whose fur conservationists say could be the fairest of any in the wild, has been photographed in southern India.

“It is the palest tiger I have ever seen on the record or heard about in literature,” said Belinda Wright, the founder of the Wildlife Protection Society of India.

The animal was spotted last week by wildlife photographer Nilanjan Ray while driving in Nilgiri biosphere reserve in Tamil Nadu state.

Pale tigers, distinct from white tigers, are thought to have a genetic mutation that results in what biologists call colour morphism. It occurs in environments with large, random mating pools that allow for the varied exchange of genes.

Parvish Pandya, a doctor of zoology, said the birth of a tiger with pale fur was “quite a genetic chance”. He ruled out the possibility the tiger was albino, citing the lack of pinkish hue around its eyes.

Wright, who has spent decades in India tracking tigers, said she recalled only ever seeing one before, in the Ranthambore national park in Rajasthan in the 1980s. “But it wasn’t nearly as pale as this one,” she said.

The last white tiger in the wild was shot in 1958, and though some still live in public and private zoos, many suffer severe health problems due to a lack of genetic mixing.

Wright said the absence of white tiger genes in the wild meant the pale tiger in Tamil Nadu could be the fairest known tiger living outside captivity.

“You occasionally see lighter-coloured tigers, but they’re nothing compared to this one,” she said. “There are also some pale tigers in captivity, particularly in the US, but these are ‘cocktail’ tigers that are bred that way, with genes from white tigers.”

Ray said he was driving through the national park when he encountered an ordinary coloured tiger on the road around 200 feet away. The animal quickly fled.

‘We saw a white-looking tiger sitting on the hillside, half concealed by the undergrowth, and looking at us.’ Photograph: Nilanjan Ray

“As we were slowly driving past that stretch, we saw a white-looking tiger sitting on the hillside, half concealed by the undergrowth, and looking at us.



“It looked curious and cute, rather than scared or aggressive. And then another tiger, a normal orange one, appeared much closer to us,” he said. “They could be siblings, or mother and cub.

“They played hide and seek with us for a while before vanishing, but not before I had taken some photos.”

Experts he has consulted have speculated that the tiger had not yet reached adulthood and they were unable to determine its sex.



The local forest department has been informed of the spot where the animal was sighted and have said they will install camera traps.

Ray said department officials had asked him not to reveal exactly where he saw the tiger, to avoid encouraging tourists or poachers.