Escaped tiger found in South Africa euthanized

A tiger that escaped from a private farm in South Africa, attacked a man who was left free for days, and killed two dogs and a pig was euthanized Wednesday.

Shiva, an 8-year-old female tiger, was shot early in the morning after being found in a residential area near where she fled in the Walkerville area south of Johannesburg, police said. Shiva, who was kept as a pet in an enclosure on her small property, escaped on Saturday.

Officials said it was not possible to safely capture the big cat and its owner authorized euthanasia.

“We were unable to contain or secure her due to the terrain and area,” said Gresham Mundy, head of the Regional Police Group. Unfortunately, darting her wasn’t an option at that point.

Mundy said it was “not an easy decision” but that the safety of the community was a “priority”.

William Mokoena told South African TV station eNCA how he was attacked by a tiger on his way home from the grocery store on Saturday night. Mokoena said she bent down to tie her shoe laces and tried to drag her out when the tiger attacked her. He used his paws to repel tigers, he said.

Search officials used drones and helicopters to try to locate Shiva. The big cat was eventually tracked down on nearby farmland and near many homes, Mandy said.

The tiger’s escape has prompted animal welfare groups to question South Africa’s laws on keeping exotic animals as pets. The animal rights group SPCA said it was concerned that a license was not required to keep exotic animals in Gauteng state, where sheba is kept.

“This tigress, who is wild and already exhibiting tiger-like behavior, did not wander into a residential area on her own,” the SPCA said. It is allowed to be held in the first place. ”