Kenny the Tiger became famous on the internet for being called the “tiger with Down syndrome” or “the world’s ugliest tiger” because of his unique looks.
But Kenny’s story is more than just a simple nickname. Despite what people said online, Kenny didn’t actually have Down syndrome. His appearance was due to a more complicated problem: inbreeding.
White tigers aren’t a separate species. They’re actually Bengal tigers with a rare gene. Unfortunately, this rarity has been taken advantage of by humans, resulting in white tigers being bred solely for profit, often with harmful effects.
All white tigers come from one white tiger that had recessive genes and was caught in the wild in the 1950s.
This means that every white tiger we see today is the result of many years of tigers’ inbreeding. This way of breeding causes a lot of health issues for white tigers, like Kenny.
However, the sad part is not just about his health issues. Kenny stands out because breeders usually choose to keep only the white tiger cubs that look the best, and get rid of the others.
Kenny was born in 1998, and luckily, he was saved in 2000 by Turpentine Creek Wildlife Refuge from a tiger farm in Arkansas. As more information came out, it became clear that there were more problems than just his unique appearance.
Kenny’s mom and dad were actually brother and sister. Of all the babies they had, only Kenny and his brother Willie made it.
Willie was born with orange fur, but his eyes were crossed. The person who bred them had a terrible plan to get rid of Kenny when he was born, but luckily changed their mind because their child loved the little cub.
Even though Kenny was saved, his life still wasn’t easy. When they were finally rescued, Kenny and Willie were discovered in dirty cages that were full of feces.
However, Kenny never lost his positive attitude. He was a cheerful and playful tiger who enjoyed running around.
Sadly, Kenny’s life ended too soon in 2008 due to melanoma, when he was only 10 years old. It’s just really sad that such a beautiful creature had to go through so much hardship in his life.
But, the good part is that people will always remember him for being strong and for making Turpentine Creek Wildlife Refuge a brighter place.