Sheba the female tiger that escaped from her enclosure over the weekend at Walkers Fruit Farm in the south of Johannesburg was euthanised on Wednesday morning.
Gresham Mandy of the community policing forum (CPF) said the tiger was spotted in the early hours on Wednesday at Arboretum Farm in Walkers Fruit Farms, about 2km from where the tiger was last known to be roaming.
“She had entered a farm area with six dwellings with families living there. Sheba attacked and killed a domestic animal and a call was made for urgent assistance. Members responded to the scene and began to track the tiger,” Mandy said.
He said the owner of the tiger was present.
She was located near a house on the farm.
Mandy said due to the terrain and area, it was not possible to contain her or secure her safely.
“At 3.45am the decision was made to euthanise her while it was safe to do so. Unfortunately darting her was not an option.
“Sheba had moved during the night across the hills to the west side of Fruit Farms, bringing her close to livestock and residents in a more densely populated area. This was not an easy decision to make and the safety of the community of Walkers Fruit Farms was a priority,” Mandy said.
The Vereeniging and Vanderbijlpark SPCA, which said it heard later that Sheba had been shot, explained that darting her was not an option as “there are many risks and complications with darting an animal at night”.
“This case proves why wild animals should not be kept as pets. The SPCA is opposed to the keeping and breeding of wild and exotic animals as pets.”
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Sheba the tiger euthanised early on Wednesday morning
Image: Supplied
Sheba the female tiger that escaped from her enclosure over the weekend at Walkers Fruit Farm in the south of Johannesburg was euthanised on Wednesday morning.
Gresham Mandy of the community policing forum (CPF) said the tiger was spotted in the early hours on Wednesday at Arboretum Farm in Walkers Fruit Farms, about 2km from where the tiger was last known to be roaming.
“She had entered a farm area with six dwellings with families living there. Sheba attacked and killed a domestic animal and a call was made for urgent assistance. Members responded to the scene and began to track the tiger,” Mandy said.
He said the owner of the tiger was present.
She was located near a house on the farm.
Mandy said due to the terrain and area, it was not possible to contain her or secure her safely.
“At 3.45am the decision was made to euthanise her while it was safe to do so. Unfortunately darting her was not an option.
“Sheba had moved during the night across the hills to the west side of Fruit Farms, bringing her close to livestock and residents in a more densely populated area. This was not an easy decision to make and the safety of the community of Walkers Fruit Farms was a priority,” Mandy said.
The Vereeniging and Vanderbijlpark SPCA, which said it heard later that Sheba had been shot, explained that darting her was not an option as “there are many risks and complications with darting an animal at night”.
“This case proves why wild animals should not be kept as pets. The SPCA is opposed to the keeping and breeding of wild and exotic animals as pets.”
TimesLIVE
Support independent journalism by subscribing to the Sunday Times. Just R20 for the first month.
SEE MORE:
WATCH | ‘It came straight for my throat’: tiger victim recalls attack
Expect more tigers on the loose thanks to legislation that lacks bite: experts
‘Voetsek!’: woman recalls chasing away tiger after it mauled her neighbour
WATCH | Tiger eyewitness says they live in fear after scaring missing animal with flashlights
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