SHEBA THE TIGER KILLED

A female tiger who’s been running wild in Johannesburg has been shot and killed. The location was about two kilometres from where she initially escaped.

The eight-year-old tiger escaped from her enclosure on a smallholding in Walkerville in the south of Johannesburg.

She escaped on Saturday and was shot during the early hours of Wednesday morning. The police said that Sheba was killed to protect the residents of the area after she attacked and killed another domestic farm animal at Walkers Fruit Farms.

Since her escape, Sheba attacked a 39-year-old man, a pig and two dogs. Both dogs had to be euthanised due to the severity of their injuries.

William Mokoena received treatment at a hospital after he was attacked. According to reports he is considering taking legal action against Rassie Erasmus, the owner of the tiger.

After a call was made for urgent assistance, community members responded to the scene where Sheba was found. Her owner was present during the search.

Community policing forum representative Gresham Mandy said it was a very difficult decision for everyone involved.

“At 03:45, the decision was made to euthanise her while it was still safe to do so. This was not an easy decision to make at the time, and the safety of the community of Walkers Fruit Farms was a priority.”

Image credit: The Citizen