Tejas, the blue-eyed white tiger brought to Dehradun zoo to draw visitors, has spent more than 40 days in quarantine and is still waiting to be seen by the public. Although the tiger is reported to be healthy, its enclosure has not yet been opened to visitors. Tejas arrived in Dehradun on September 28 after efforts to add the rare animal to the zoo’s attractions.
Animals transferred from elsewhere are generally kept in quarantine for 20 days to a month so their health can be monitored and the risk of infection assessed. That period has passed, but Tejas remains out of public view.
Zoo officials have reported no health concerns, and the wait is now linked to the formal opening of the enclosure. The plan initially was for Forest Minister Subodh Uniyal to inaugurate the enclosure. The decision was later made to have Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami open it, following which the Forest Department sought an appointment with the Chief Minister’s Office.
Forest Minister Uniyal said the office had now given November 17 for the inauguration. If the programme goes ahead as scheduled, visitors will be able to see Tejas nearly 50 days after his arrival. “Since arriving in Dehradun, Tejas has remained completely healthy and active,” senior veterinarian at Dehradun zoo Dr Pradeep Mishra told TNIE. He said the tiger was showing normal activity and was in good health.
The delay has disappointed wildlife enthusiasts who have been waiting to see the animal. Tejas is expected to remain in his enclosure until the formal opening, while visitors may have to wait about two more weeks. Wildlife expert and former deputy director of the Uttarakhand Forest Department Ranganath Pandey said a white tiger is not a separate species, but a rare genetic variant of the Bengal tiger.
Its pale coat is caused by a recessive gene associated with leucism; unlike albino animals, white tigers usually have blue eyes and dark stripes. “White tigers should not be mistaken for a separate conservation category,” Pandey told TNIE.
He said wild sightings had not been confirmed for decades, and white tigers today are found in captivity. Estimates of their global captive population vary, with no single authoritative register.
Pandey also cautioned that breeding white tigers can involve inbreeding, which may increase the risk of inherited disorders and physical weakness. The Bengal tiger, of which the white tiger is a colour variant, is classified as endangered.
Conservationists have often stressed that captive breeding for a rare coat colour should not be confused with efforts to protect wild tiger populations. For now, Tejas remains healthy but unseen by the public. The zoo’s planned inauguration is expected to end the wait for visitors—and the tiger’s long period away from their gaze.
