White Tiger Family Tops Cats and Pets Charts — Too Cute to Be Just Tigers!
A photo book of white tigers more popular than cats
A photo book of tigers took the number one spot on Amazon’s bestseller rankings across five categories, including “Cats” and “Pets” (as of April 16). The photo book Toranoko, featuring a white tiger family, has become a hot topic. Reservations flooded in as soon as the release was announced, and after its release on May 9, it quickly went into a second print run, with its popularity continuing strong.
This photo book was created by RIKU, who has over 360,000 followers on X (formerly Twitter) and posts photos of feline animals taken at zoos nationwide, mainly on social media. It captures the daily life of Syrup, a white tiger living at the Izu Animal Kingdom, a comprehensive leisure facility in Izu, along with her seven cubs.
White tigers are a white variant of Bengal tigers native to India and Bangladesh, and it is said that only one in 10,000 Bengal tigers carries the gene for this coloration. In India, white tigers have long been regarded as incarnations of gods, and there is a legend that those who see them will be blessed with happiness. In China and Japan, they have also been worshiped as the divine beast “Byakko” (White Tiger). The last wild white tiger was captured in 1951, and today only about 250 white tigers exist in captivity worldwide, with roughly 40 in Japan, making them rare animals.
Syrup, born at Izu Animal Kingdom in 2014, has given birth three times so far. In 2018, she had the sister cubs Earl and Gray; in 2020, she gave birth to the three sisters Vanilla, Whip, and Meringue. Most recently, she gave birth to triplets last September, but sadly one cub died shortly after birth. Currently, Syrup is raising siblings Tsuki (female) and Shigure (male). Toranoko contains over 90 photographs taken by RIKU since 2018 of Syrup and her cubs.
The parent-child bond glimpsed through the photographs
Regarding Tsuki and Shigure, their growth has been live-streamed on Izu Animal Kingdom’s YouTube channel from just one week after their birth. At peak times, the streams have garnered up to 90,000 views per day, with over 3,000 simultaneous viewers tuning in. This shows how many people are watching over the growth of Tsuki and Shigure. About Syrup’s parenting, RIKU wrote the following in the photo book:
“The cubs each have distinct personalities and are full of mischief. Even so, Syrup never favors one over the other; she treats both Tsuki and Shigure equally, sharing playtime and affection fairly. Her behavior is like that of a human mother who understands her children’s individuality and showers them with love. Watching her is impressive and reminds us that animals and humans are not so different.”
“This photo book captures the journey of Syrup and her cubs, and within its pages lie living beings and the bonds they nurture. I would be very happy if readers can feel the tenderness and connection through their expressions and gestures.”
RIKU also released a photo book titled Almost Cats in December 2023, featuring big cats of the feline family. The playful scenes of the tiger cubs in Toranoko perfectly embody the idea of almost cats. Watching them play with gentle swats like cat punches or cuddle up together like a cat pile and doze off brings a smile to anyone’s face. Although tigers are large carnivores, the cubs have thick limbs and a chubby build from an early age, making them look even more like stuffed animals, which adds to their cuteness. When the rowdy cubs get grabbed by their mother Syrup by the scruff of the neck, they instantly become calm and obedient, a heartwarming sight.
As RIKU remarks, the love these white tiger parents show is no different from human affection. Why not find some comfort in the tender daily life of this white tiger family?
