EDITORIAL | Pounce on tiger pet owners before the cats attack kids

The owner of a Boksburg daycare centre on Johannesburg’s East Rand raised the alarm last week after spotting two tigers peering over its fence from a neighbouring garden. The tigers often play on a jungle gym overlooking the crèche.

It sounds like a tale that belongs in a movie script, but unfortunately it is a real situation endangering lives. The school fears for the safety of its pupils and some parents have started keeping their children home — understandably so. What is less comprehensible is our complete lack of regulations around the keeping of exotic animals as pets.

“That fence is just not high enough and those tigers will jump. If they don’t jump into our school, they will jump into our other neighbour’s house and, just across the road, there is an old age home. There are about four schools in this street, so this is a danger to everyone living in this area,” the crèche owner, who did not want to be named, told TimesLive. “At this stage, we are feeling like these wild animals have got more rights than us.” 

Animal welfare organisation Four Paws director Fiona Miles was appalled but not surprised. “Tigers have very little protection under SA law, despite being considered an endangered species. This is particularly true in Gauteng, where such cases of private keeping are prevalent.”

It boggles the mind that there is no legislation to curb behaviour that clearly places other living beings — in this case, small children — in mortal danger. Ekurhuleni mayoral spokesperson Phakamile Mbengashe expressed shock when made aware of the situation, agreeing it posed a serious danger to the community.

In SA, about 1,500 tigers are kept in captivity. 

“The department of forestry, fisheries and the environment announced earlier this year that it plans to outlaw captive lion breeding, keeping lions in captivity and stopping the commercial use of lions or their derivatives, but tigers are not included in this draft plan,” said Miles, before stating what should be the obvious: “Despite being hand-reared and appearing playful, the cats are wild animals, sentient predators and keeping them in these conditions is hugely exploitative. Exercise and socialisation with other individuals of their species are not available to them, and there is the risk that they could pose a danger to others unless adequate safety measures are taken.”

This is not the first time SA media have reported tigers being held as pets. Last August, two white tiger cubs were almost taken from a Houghton, Johannesburg home by the NSPCA, whose inspectors relied on the Animal Protection Act, arguing the cubs’ water bowls were empty and the environment they lived in lacked enrichment. The NSPCA should be applauded for trying to intervene, but once the owner complied by building a water container into the ground, the cubs could stay. The NPSCA confirmed that in the latest case in Boksburg, again, its hands were tied. But it insisted: “They belong in the wild. Not only is this extremely unfair and unjust toward the animals, it is also unethical and a risk to everyone exposed to the animals.”

The handing out of permits to keep and own exotic wildlife is the responsibility of nature conservation authorities. According to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora, international trade in tigers for commercial purposes is prohibited under the convention. Very restricted conditions exist for the commercial trade of tigers, but in SA animal protection authorities cannot find a piece of legislation allowing them to pounce on tiger pet owners.

The NSPCA pointed out that the tigers also pose a health risk. People in contact with them can get ringworm, herpes, rabies and parasitic and bacterial infections.

There are many authorities that should be able to step in — ranging from health and conservation to municipalities — yet the tigers are still staring over the wall at the children in the playground.