Wildlife ambassador: White tiger at Cat Tales dies after bout with mouth cancer

Just a few weeks shy of his 18th birthday, the beloved white Bengal tiger at Cat Tales Wildlife Center named Nalin had to be euthanized Thursday.

The regal big cat had been struggling with an oral sarcoma, which caused irreparable damage, according to the wildlife center.

Nalin, which is Sanskrit for “lotus flower,” was transferred to Cat Tales from the Six Flags tiger show almost a decade ago and since spent his time at the wildlife center “basking on his platform” and “splashing in his pool,” according to an Instagram post from the company on Thursday night.

Though they still have a variety of other animals, including one other Bengal tiger, Tigger, and three Siberian tigers, Koshka, Sestra, and Amura, the loss is especially impactful because Nalin was the only white tiger in the care of Cat Tales.

Nalin served as a “wildlife ambassador” for the wildlife center, helping children understand the science behind the animal.

Relatively rare in nature, white tigers are not an endangered species, nor are they a distinct breed . They are Bengal tigers who have experienced a genetic mutation called leucism, causing light fur and striking blue eyes. They often still sport dark stripes.

These unique traits make them appealing to look at, and as such have encouraged the popularity of white tigers in captivity.

Many companies have selectively bred tigers that display this mutation in hopes of having similar offspring, often requiring inbreeding, which consequently raises the risk of health concerns, to which Nalin was no stranger.

The Instagram post mentions “a kidney issue in 2020 that he rallied from beautifully; a mystery limp that resolved on its own,” and of course the cancer in his mouth .

After 25 years of the wildlife center consistently having at least one white tiger in their care, Nalin’s death marks the end of an era in Cat Tales history.

According to the Cat Tales statement on their website: “He was valued for who he was as an individual, not simply for the color of his coat.”