Johannesburg - Members of the police and the Special Task Force have launched a search party to hunt for an eight-year-old female tiger that escaped from a private farm enclosure in Walkerville, Gauteng on Friday.
The tiger, known as Sheba, is reported to have mauled a 39-year-old man and killed two dogs and one pig after it escaped. It is reported that the tiger escaped after the fence holding the enclosure was cut open by unknown people.
Greshem Mandy from the De Deur Community Policing Forum, said a search team, which includes a specialised task force, had been dispatched to the scene to try to locate the tiger. Mandy urged members of the public to not approach the animal.
“At the moment, we have a lot of teams on the ground who are on foot working with the SAPS. We are also tactical experts tracking teams which is being organised by the SAPS. We hope this will yield some results. We have just received information that fresh tracks have been seen on the top of the ridge. We understand that she is within this area, is circling around this area, and is still not moving around.“
It is unclear whether the owner of the farm, who is said to have kept two tigers on his property, has the necessary permit to breed tigers.
“The owner has a property and owns a plot. I am not sure which industry he is in, but he does keep wild animals on his farm and has some bucks, some wolves, and the two tigers, a male and a female, who are both about eight years old. The male tiger was darted and relocated elsewhere,“ Mandy said.
An SPCA official, who did not want to be named, said: “We are here to monitor the situation to ensure that whatever the situation, everything is done in a humane manner and that the tiger and animal rights are maintained.”
Mandy said that with the arrival of the Special Task Force he was confident the tiger would be found in no time.
"With the arrival of the task force we will be able to ensure that our efforts are better co-ordinated as we try to track and flush out the tiger. We believe the animal is moving around this area, and we will be able to find it,“ he said.
The Star