Tigress Sheba, whichescaped from its enclosure at a small holding in Walkerville  outside Johannesburg over the weekend has beenput down. This comes after a search party failed to locate the eight-year old tigress which had killed a few animals before it was put down on Wednesday. 

SPOTTED 

A member of the De Deur Community Policing Forum Gresham Mandy said they received a call around1:55am on Wednesday morning that Sheba was spotted at Arboretum farm around Walkerville.

THREA

Sheba entered a farm area with six dwellings where people and families lived posing a threat to human lives. She attacked one of the domestic animals, and a call was made for urgent assistance. The police were called to the scene and began to track the tigress. Mandy said it was impossible to sedate or corner Sheba and around 3:45 her owner gave the cops permission to shoot her. 

"Unfortunately, at that moment in time, darting her was not an option. Sheba had moved during the night across the hills to the west side of Fruit Farms, bringing her close to livestock and other residents in a more densely populated area. This was not an easy decision to make at the time, and the safety of the community of Walkers Fruit Farms was a priority, she had to be euthanised." Mandy said.

SURVIVING THE JAWS OF SHEBA

Sheba attacked a39-year-old man William Mokoena and killed his dog and a pig over the weekend. Her last attack was on a dog she pounced on Tuesday night. Reports state that Mokoena is currently recovering in hospital and was from a spaza shop when the attack happened. He reportedly bent down tying his laces when Sheba pounced on him from the back and wanted to grab his neck. Mokoena said he was thankful and lucky to be alive. 

THE WILD BELONGS IN THE WILD

The Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) in Vereeniging said this case proves why wild animals should not be kept as pets. "The SPCA is opposed to thekeeping and breeding of wild and exotic animals as pets," they said in a statement.