‘Gauteng Agriculture Dept must take responsibility for 2nd escaped tiger’ – NSPCA

The National Council of Societies for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (NSPCA) said the Gauteng agriculture department must take responsibility for the second tiger that escaped.

The nine-month-old female tiger was spotted in Edenvale on the East Rand on Monday morning.

She has since been captured and taken to a sactuary for safekeeping.

Video footage earlier showed the tiger walking past a vehicle that was parked at a business office.

Tiger unharmed

The Blue hawk Tactical Unit, Community Policing Forum and NSPCA said the tiger was unharmed.

“Units have assisted in locating and capturing the Tiger in Edenvale. The animal has been sedated and taken to a sanctuary for safe keeping. No further information will be given at this time.”

Investigations

Meanwhile, the NSPCA said it is currently investigating the case of another escaped tiger

“The welfare of the tiger and the other animals in the area must be considered as authorities begin their search and attempt to capture the animal.”  

The NSPCA said it has contacted the Gauteng Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (GDARD) and alerted them of the escaped tiger.

“Given that GDARD and the Ekurhuleni municipality are responsible for enforcing the legislation that allows these dangerous animals to be kept in captivity in the first place, some form of accountability and responsibility for the welfare of the animal/s and the residents needs to be taken by them.”

ALSO READ: WATCH: Another tiger on the loose in Gauteng

Sheba

Last month, an eight-year-old tigress, Sheba, was euthanised after she escaped from a plot in the Walkers Fruit Farm area of Midvaal, south of Johannesburg.

Her owner reported that his fence had been deliberately cut.

Community policing forum representative, Gresham Mandy, told The Citizen he was sad to see Sheba euthanised.

“This was not an easy decision to make at the time, and the safety of the community of Walkers Fruit Farms was a priority.”

The NSPCA said they and the local SPCA (Vereeniging and Vanderbijlpark) were not contacted and did not form part of the decision to shoot and kill the animal.

Responsibility

At the time, the Department of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development and the Department of Environmental Affairs refused to comment about Sheba.

ALSO READ: Sheba’s escape ‘calls into question the overall conditions the animal was kept in’