At the time, the National Council of SPCAs (NSPCA) said it was not in its hands to issue permits for keeping wildlife. This was handled by the nature conservation division of the Gauteng department of agriculture and rural development, which sets the requirements needed to obtain a permit, which makes it legal for people to own exotic wildlife.
The NSPCA said the tigers animals were sentenced to a “barren, urban enclosure, trapped in a concrete jungle in suburbia”. It said with no freedom to express normal behaviour, the tigers became objects of human gratification.
The council's wildlife protection unit, in collaboration with the Boksburg SPCA inspectorate and renowned big cat veterinarian Dr Peter Caldwell, went to the Boksburg property to safely sedate and transport the tigers.
“The operation proceeded smoothly, and the tigers were relocated to a sanctuary providing a habitat conducive to their wellbeing,” the council said.
It said the tigers’ release was “both magnificent and heartbreaking” — with the tigers taking excited leaps to freedom, while interacting with grass for the first time.
“They were filled with curiosity about their new haven, where they can live out the rest of their lives free from concrete and confinement.”
The NSPCA said it staunchly opposed keeping and breeding indigenous and exotic wild species in captivity for purposes other than genuine conservation or rehabilitation. Any sanctuary and facilities had to be approved by it.
“We extend our sincere congratulations and gratitude to the Boksburg SPCA for their proactive stance in initiating this crucial step towards ending the confinement of exotic wild species in South Africa,” said the NSPCA.
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