Animal rights organisations have raised questions about the regulations regarding keeping exotic animals, like tigers, as pets without permits in some residential suburbs.
Earlier this week, IOL reported that a search has been launched for a missing female tiger.
So far, Sheba has attacked a man and several animals and despite a massive search including the use of drones, the cat is yet to be found.
The tigress escaped from a property in Wakerville, south of Joburg.
According to the Endangered Wildlife Trust, in Gauteng, the North West, Mpumalanga and Limpopo no permit is required for the legal possession or keeping of an exotic wild animal.
However, any import into, export out of, or transporting of an exotic wild animal, within any of the nine provinces, always requires a permit.
Video: Timothy Bernard/African News Agency (ANA)
NPO, Blood Lions, raised questions about the animal's enclosure where it was housed as well as the fencing used to keep the animal enclosed.
“In South Africa, it is not uncommon for wildlife to be kept as pets in residential areas, in particular in those provinces with absent legislation around exotic species.
“This is a clear example of how dangerous this is, and hope that it rings alarm bells around the need to tighten up regulations on the breeding and keeping of exotic predators in our country,” Blood Lions said.
The National Council of the SPCA said it was a matter of extreme concern that permitting (which is regulated by the Gauteng Department of Agriculture and Rural Development in this instance) was not required to keep such dangerous and exotic animals in residential areas in Gauteng.
The council said this lack of regulation has jeopardised the welfare of countless exotic wild animals, and placed the lives of humans and other domestic animals in the area at complete risk.
“This tigress, which has already displayed the behaviour of a tiger in the wild, did not wander into a residential area on her own.
“She was unwillingly brought there to be held in captivity, something that should not have been allowed to take place to begin with,” the council said.
It added that as more and more wild and exotic animals are allowed to be owned without regulation, more tragedy is expected to occur.
The SPCA movement said it opposes the keeping of wildlife in captivity and will continue to take action in terms of the Animals Protection Act no 71 of 1962 where wild animals have been subjected to suffering.
IOL