Have you ever compared yourself or someone to a bengal tiger by their strong personality or how physically strong they are? There’s another type of tiger but they aren’t the Bengal tigers, They are the white tigers. Yep, you heard me right. Two years ago, I read The White Tiger by Arvind Adiga, a Booker award winner. This book reflects poverty, crime, caste system, corruption in the Indian society and entrepreneurship. Balram Halwai, a man from a poor family in Bihar, has stood out in his poor school for years. His smartness has made him create the nickname the “White Tiger” because they are held under captivity and are seen once in a generation. When he was older, he was forced to quit school by his granny in order to make money. He moves to Delhi in search of work. He finally finds a job and works as a driver. Balram feels suppressed and is frustrated about things around him and turns into a maniac.
Towards the end of the story, Balram kills his master.He becomes a successful entrepreneur and changes his identity to start his new life. This is his journey of becoming a master from a servant. He does this because he has a vision of him, a white tiger being in a cage and being free at the end. It’s true that it’s hard to believe white tigers exist and have been seen only once in a generation, but you have to be lucky to see them. For years, reporters, and people in our society claim that it’s just CGI. It’s true that it’s hard to believe the truth about the white tigers especially because they were bred in captivity. But today, I will be proving all scientists wrong and proving why the White Tigers must be set free.
One piece of evidence on why White Tigers should be set free is because they have been bred for cash. For instance, small white tigers are easy to take care of. However, adult tigers are extremely difficult to take care of so several facilities kill them once they reach adulthood and sell their parts to make a profit. This shows that White Tigers must be left alone like all animals in the wild. If they do, they wouldn’t need to kill the tigers once they reach adulthood and decrease their population every year.
Another example would be that the amount of illnesses in White Tigers have decreased for years. For instance, as long as people could remember, records have shown White Tigers roaming freely in northern and southern India. Several were captured and have led to a huge amount of health problems occurring in white tigers because of animal testing and their enviroment they live in. However, 52 white tigers in the Cincinnati Zoo showed no weaknesses or illnesses but weakness in eyesight. This shows that White Tigers health problems will improve throughout a couple years. Especially with new medical devices and healthcare all around the world.
As a result, I hope to see White Tigers being set free after over seventy years of inbreeding. With animal healthcare improving throughout the years and spreading the words of biodiversity, I hope that we can come to realize that we need to release the white tigers.