The Midvaal community in Gauteng reacted with fury to a decision to put down Sheba the Tiger earlier this morning. The tiger was on the loose since the weekend, killing three animals and injuring a resident.
The 8-year-old tiger had escaped from an enclosure on a smallholding on Saturday. The search intensified on Tuesday in the farm town of Walkerville, south of Johannesburg, when she was located near a waterhole using thermal imaging.
Gresham Mandy, a member of the local community policing forum, said it was not possible to secure the tigress. It is understood that Sheba had moved to a more densely-populated area near Walkers Fruit Farms, De Deur, during the night.
“Due to the terrain and area, it was not possible to contain her or secure her safely. At 3:45 am the decision was made to euthanize her while it was still safe to do so. Unfortunately at that moment in time darting her was not an option,” Mandy said.
Mandy said the decision to put her down was not an easy one, but had to be taken as residents’ safety was a priority. However, residents were ambivalent over whether euthanasia was the correct way to go.
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Reaction to Sheba’s euthanasia
“It’s a terrible decision to make in an imperfect world,” said Jenn Self, who lives in the area. “One would love to believe there are always happy endings, [but] unfortunately, it’s not the case.”
Another resident, Lucielle De Klerk, found the decision to be outright “disgusting”. She, like many other residents, said Sheba’s life might have been spared had she been kept in her natural habitat.
“Due to criminals that cut the fence, the tiger was shot. If [s]he was still in [her] surrounding [s]he would have still been alive,” she said, adding that “people should be ashamed of what happened”.
Irene van Aarde said those responsible for cutting the fence around Sheba’s enclosure needed to be brought to book. She said, “The people who cut fences – our fence has been cut numerous times – are the people responsible for this and just as she was hunted down, so should they be hunted down”.
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Tigers as pets
While tigers are found in surprisingly diverse habitats, from rainforests, grasslands, savannas and even mangrove swamps, they are not naturally found in South Africa.
There are loopholes in Gauteng provincial by-laws, which make it possible to own exotic pets such as tigers. While the law bans domestic ownership of wild, indigenous animals such as a lion, a transportation permit and an import permit are all that’s required to have a tiger in Gauteng.
In the frenzy around Sheba the Tiger’s escape, many remarked that she merely exhibited instinctive behaviour in roaming the Midvaal after fleeing captivity.
Doreen Mazibuko-Moyo, who also lives in the Walkerville area, understood the priority to save human lives but also pointed out that wild animals should be left in their natural environment.
“It is indeed very sad news that Sheba had to be euthanized. Had she been left in the wilderness where she belongs, I do believe she would still be alive. Yet in the same breath, our safety is indeed a priority. We already have a man hospitalised; who knows what will come out of him? And dogs killed…this is not right at all,” she said.
Jenn Self noted that while they heightened precautions while the tigress was on the loose, this was not much different than usual safety precautions in South Africa.
“I would keep my livestock secure and make sure my pets and family were indoors at night. I would be careful going outdoors at night … Sadly … We do this every night of our lives even without a tiger walking around. This is a dangerous country,” they said.
