The cub was kept in a makeshift wire enclosure. (Free Me Wildlife)
A baby tiger who was kept as a pet in a makeshift wire enclosure at a Pietermaritzburg home has been transferred to Pretoria Zoo.
Ezemvelo spokesperson Musa Mntambo said the cub was being cared for on the grounds of Northern Park in Chase Valley.
He said Ezemvelo Pietermaritzburg Honourable Officers had visited the property to investigate after receiving reports of a tiger being spotted in the garden of a residential building.
“Officers from Ezemvelo Wildlife Conservation, in collaboration with the South African Police Service (SAPS) Livestock Theft Unit and the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA), visited the property to investigate. On arrival, a male tiger, estimated to be between four and six months old, was found. The animal was immediately seized,” he said.
Mntambo said the tiger had been taken to the Free Me Wildlife Rehabilitation Centre for temporary care and rehabilitation before being transferred to Pretoria.
According to Free Me Wildlife, the cub weighs just over 17kg and was placed under infrared lights upon arrival and given “tasty food” and a bedding of hay.
Mntambo said that after obtaining the necessary permits, the cub would be transferred to Pretoria Zoo on Thursday, September 19, “where it will receive specialised care and long-term accommodation”.
“A case of illegal possession of a tiger is being investigated at Town Hill SAPS. The charges fall under sections 79, 80 and 81 of the KwaZulu-Natal Nature Conservation Act and section 65 (sections 1 and 2) of the National Environmental Management: Biodiversity Act (NEMBA),” he said.
Mntambo said Ezemvelo was committed to enforcing wildlife regulations and continued to work with other law enforcement agencies to ensure such incidents were dealt with swiftly and effectively.
According to Free Me Wildlife, the cub is under the direct care of the Ministry of Forestry, Fisheries and Environment, the country's highest level conservation body, and is being kept at Pretoria Zoo, a maximum security facility under the department's management.
“The cub remains as evidence during the trial but must remain in DFFE's care and cannot be released to a private rescue facility for its own safety. The cub's future will only be determined once the outcome of the trial has been finalized.”
Free Me Wildlife added that although it rescues animals from the illegal wildlife trade, it does not help re-enter the illegal trade.
In February last year, a young female tiger was seen on CCTV roaming the driveway of an office building in Edenvale, Ekurhuleni.
A month ago, another female tiger, Shiva, escaped from her enclosure on a small farm in Walkerville, Johannesburg. She was shot dead after severely mauling a man, William Mokoena, and killing two dogs and a pig. The tiger was a pet owned by the individual who escaped.
Keeping non-native species, and keeping animals as pets in general, is regulated by state and local regulations.
The Mail and Guardian previously reported that Douglas Wolhuter, manager of the NSPCA's wildlife conservation unit, said in its final inspection list for 2021 the unit found at least 16 properties housing tigers within residential areas.
On average, there are five to six complaints about tigers a year, “but the number is increasing as people become more aware of the tiger issue,” Wolhuter said.
“Tigers are rare animals and you don't need a permit to keep them, just like you don't need a permit to keep goldfish or grey parrots. Anyone can keep tigers. This is a problem, especially in urban areas, as it poses a risk to human safety and also to animal welfare,” said Kelly Marnewyk, a senior lecturer at the School of Conservation at the Tshwane University of Technology.
A version of this article was first published by The Witness.