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Blue Tiger |
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Sporadic sightings of Blue Tigers have been coming out of the Fujian Province of China since the early 1900s. The most famous sighting of such an animal occurred in 1910 when Methodist missionary Harry R. Caldwell spied one at close range, which he first mistook for a man in blue clothing. After realizing what he was looking at he attempted to shoot the animal in order to verify it?s existence to the world, but noticed two children nearby. Not wanting to harm the children he repositioned himself, but by that time the tiger was gone. He described the tiger as having a deep maltese blue fur, instead of a tigers usual orange, with black strips in his book Blue Tiger. Unsuccessful searches were carried out by Caldwell in search of the Blue Tigers, on which his son, John C. Caldwell, accompanied him. On several occasions John noted seeing maltese colored hairs along the mountain trails they were searching. It is thought that the blue in the tigers fur comes from the combined expression of two mutant gene forms ? dilute and non-agouti. The combination occasionally produces blue furred lynxes and bobcats, so why not tigers as well? To date the Blue Tiger remain one of the mystery cats of the world. - entry provided by Matthew J. Eaton, matt@slowpokerecords.com
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