It’s ‘too easy’ to own a big cat in SA – Calls mount for ban on keeping tigers as pets

Following the escape of yet another tiger, this one in Edenvale, calls are mounting for a ban on keeping the apex predators as pets.

At the same time, government departments are ducking responsibility for the issue and shocking statistics have emerged which indicate that South Africa has a roaring trade in tigers and their body parts, which are favoured as medicine in some Asian countries.

Earlier this month, a tiger roamed the Walkerville area for days before being shot. Questions are being asked about the whereabouts of the Edenvale tiger following unconfirmed reports it had been sedated and captured swiftly yesterday morning, only hours after the first alert went out.

Where is the Edenvale tiger?

Gary Wilson from Swat SOS 24/7 claimed the tiger was located and sedated. He said the animal would be taken to a sanctuary for safekeeping.

“We can’t comment now,” Wilson told The Citizen. “That story is finished; we’re not discussing it at all.”

His allegation the tiger was captured is similar to a claim by Blue Hawk Tactical.

“Units have assisted in locating and capturing the tiger in Edenvale. The animal has been sedated and taken to a sanctuary for safekeeping. No further information will be given at this time,” Blue Hawk Tactical reportedly stated.

However, the Edenvale SPCA was unaware of the status of the animal. On its Facebook page, Wilson’s company wrote: “Good day, the tiger is save. We do not need to say where it was taken as it is for the animal’s safety [sic].”

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When asked for further information by the SPCA, there was no response.

“We cannot confirm any reports as we have not seen the tiger, nor heard from authorities as to whether she is safe and where she has been moved to,” said Jade de Bruyn from Edenvale SPCA.

“More information will be given when we have it but no confirmation can be given on any reports of her being safely captured.”

With the lack of evidence of the Edenvale tiger’s alleged capture, it raised the question of how a dart gun was accessed so quickly, as well as the qualifications of the person handling it.

Debate of ownership

Meanwhile, the department of forestry and fisheries and the environment (DFFE) and the Gauteng department of agriculture and rural development are playing ping-pong over who is responsible for the ownership of tigers as pets.

The DFFE under Minister Barbara Creecy has overall oversight under the National Environmental Management: Biodiversity Act. It states anyone who has a permit can import, possess, breed or trade in tigers.

SA is also a signatory to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species [Cites] of wild fauna and flora and “all international trade in tigers, including parts and derivatives, for commercial purposes is generally prohibited under the convention”.

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“This resolution also urges parties in whose territories tigers and other Asian big cat species are bred in captivity to ensure that adequate management practices and controls are in place to prevent parts and derivatives from entering illegal trade from or through such facilities,” the Cites secretariat noted last year.

Creecy was unable to respond before going to print.

‘Harmful practice’

Four Paws head of campaigns Sarah Locke said the organisation did not support the keeping of big cats as exotic pets.

“This is a harmful practice that risks exploiting big cats in captivity and threatens wild populations by increasing the demand for animals,” Locke said.

“Big cats are large, sentient predators that require huge amounts of space, [have] very specific nutritional needs, [need] significant enrichment and specialised veterinary care. In addition, they can, of course, pose a significant danger to the public if they escape.”

Lock said the stories of the two tigers escaping in the Johannesburg area “are a huge concern and indicate the ease of which big cats are accessible in South Africa”.

“Four Paws in South Africa is calling for an end to the commercial trade of all big cat species.”

“We believe this will help tackle the wider issue of the captive big cat industry in South Africa, whereby lions and non-native tigers are kept in captivity for various commercial purposes.“

The Cites trade database shows high numbers of live tigers and tiger parts from captive breeding traded from SA, according to Four Paws.

WATCH: Another tiger on the loose in Gauteng

“SA exported 359 live tigers between 2011 and 2020 and a total of 93 tiger parts,” it stated.

Smaragda Louw, director of nonprofit Ban Animal Trading, said it was too easy to own wild animals and stricter rules were needed.

“What we need to look at are the laws. We know that they are completely outdated,” she said.

Tshepo Mokalapa, an inspector with the National Council of Societies for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, said the organisation was “opposed to keeping wildlife as pets, especially big cats like tigers”.

– amandaw@citizen.co.za Additional reporting Faizel Patel and AFP