On Monday 30th January 2023, South African animal welfare officials captured a tiger that was spotted roaming a residential area in the suburb of Edenvale, east of Johannesburg.
The guards monitoring security cameras in an office building in Edenvale reported seeing the big cat and assisted in its capture using darts containing a sedative.
Residents were advised to remain cautious and keep all their pets indoors.
The origin of the tiger is unknown, but it is believed to be an escaped pet.
This is the second instance of a tiger on the loose in South Africa in recent weeks.
Two weeks prior, another escaped tiger was euthanised after four days on the loose in Walkerville, south of Johannesburg. The tiger attacked a man who survived his injuries, but two dogs were killed.
This incident led to calls by animal welfare organisations for the government to ban citizens from owning wild animals as pets.
The Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals has expressed concern about the danger posed to people by the ownership and breeding of dangerous and exotic wild animals, due to the lack of basic legislation and inspections by authorities.
