South Africa
No sign of Joburg tiger despite wide search─── 17:17 Mon, 16 Jan 2023
The search for an eight-year-old tigress named Sheba that escaped from a property in Walker’s Fruit Farm, south of Johannesburg, over the weekend has been unsuccessful so far.
The tiger attacked a 39-year-old man and killed two dogs. Residents have been warned to be on high alert.
The big cat escaped from her enclosure over the weekend after perpetrators cut the fence at a smallholding where she was hand-reared.
News24 reports that Gresham Mandy of the local community policing forum (CPF) said since her escape, Sheba had killed two dogs and injured a 39-year-old man.
"On Saturday evening, she attacked a dog on a nearby farm. The dog was killed instantly."
A few hours later, Sheba attacked an employee of the local vet who had been walking on a pathway, about 100m from the home where the dog was killed.
"He was attacked while bending to tie his shoelace. It was between 21:00 and 22:00. He was taken to hospital."
LEES OOK: Ontsnapte tier val man, hond in Johannesburg aan
Sheba returned to the vicinity and attacked another dog early on Sunday morning.
"At about 04:00 she came back and attacked another dog. The dog had to be euthanised by the SPCA after it endured injuries," said Mandy.
TimesLive reports that members of the CPF are on high alert and using drones to try to get an aerial view of the landscape.
Tall grass and dense veld make ideal camouflage for the big cat.
A police helicopter has been launched to circle the area in an attempt to locate Sheba, which has proved difficult.Just before midday on Monday, a member of the CPF said they were plotting their next move.
"It is a 98% probability she is within an 800m radius. She would not have travelled further than that. It is too hot for her to move, so she is likely resting under a tree. A few of us are ready to head into the veld to look for her. The owner has come to terms that she is likely to be shot. If we can dart her, we will do everything in our power to do that, but it is not guaranteed."
The owner has declined to comment at this stage.
Mandy has urged the public to remain calm and stay indoors until Sheba is located and darted.
"We please ask residents of Walkerville and surroundings to be on the lookout and inform us immediately by calling our emergency number on 083 292 5862 if the tiger is spotted."
