Goosey Fernandes has moved one step closer to realising his dream of a sanctuary for big cats.
Yesterday Fernandes bought Apollo and Alice – together half a ton of tiger – from the Rhino and Lion Nature Reserve in Krugersdorp and transported them to his game farm near Groblersdal.
“These cats are show cats, not breeding cats,” said Fernandes. The tigers have been trained to walk on leashes, one held by their handler, John Wagenaar who now works with Fernandes, and the other by someone who wants the chance to be near a big cat.
Fernandes owns Panjo, the tiger who had two days of freedom along the R25 near Groblersdal in July after escaping from the back of a bakkie.
But yesterday Fernandes wasn’t taking any chances and loaded Apollo and Alice into hefty metal crates before loading them into his bakkie.
Rhino and Lion Nature Reserve owner Ed Hern said Siberian tigers were the biggest cats in the world, and that he had one that was 3m from nose to tail tip.
“I just wanted to see them for the last time,” he said, peering through the crate windows.
Reserve staffer Chris Mokemane was sad to see Alice and Apollo leave.
“That was my cat,” he said of Apollo. Both cats were born and bred at the Rhino and Lion Nature Reserve.
Nearly seven hours later the tigers were slowly emerging from a second round of sedation at Fernandes’s game farm.
“I could have just gone fishing instead,” joked Fernandes after hours of fussing over the pair.
So how much does a tiger cost? “Enough!” said Fernandes, declining to say how much.
“But they’re worth it.”