Blue Tigers?

Although most of us are familiar with white tigers, a rare color morph of the Bengal tiger, documented sightings of Maltese or “blue” tigers have also been reported throughout history.

Artist's rendering of what a Maltese tiger might look like.

As with domestic cats, the Maltese name refers to a “blue” fur coloration that is actually slate grey. Sightings of Maltese tigers have occurred numerous times throughout the 20th century in both the Fujian Province of China and Korea. It is assumed that these blue tigers were most closely related to the now critically endangered South China tiger. If they still exist, Maltese tigers may be some of the rarest animals on earth.