Members of a private anti-poaching unit company prepare a cage in Walkerville
(Picture: AFP via Getty Images)A tiger that killed two dogs and a pig after escaping from a private farm in South Africa has been euthanised.
Eight-year-old Sheba was kept as a pet but wreaked havoc on the loose in Walkerville, south of Johannesburg, when she escaped from her enclosure on a smallholding on Sunday.
Officials gave the go-ahead to shoot the big cat on Tuesday after attempts to capture her proved impossible, and Sheba’s owner gave consent.
Gresham Mandy, community police group representative, said: “Due to the terrain and area it was not possible to contain her or secure her safely.
“The decision was made to euthanise her while it was still safe to do so. Unfortunately at that moment in time darting her was not an option.”
Mr Mandy told Associated Press that it was “not an easy decision” but the safety of the community was “a priority”.
Search officials used drones and a helicopter to try to locate Sheba. The big cat was finally tracked down in a nearby farming area and close to a number of homes, Mr Mandy said.
The Walkerville community might be relieved to know the threat has been contained after locals reported the tiger was proving a menace in the community.
Town resident William Mokoena told South African TV station eNCA how he had been attacked by the tiger on Saturday night while he was walking home from a shop.
Mr Mokoena said the tiger pounced on him when he bent down to tie a shoelace and tried to drag him away. He used his legs to fight the tiger off, he said.
The tiger’s escape has prompted animal welfare organisations to question South Africa's laws around keeping exotic animals as pets.
Animal protection group the SPCA said it was concerning that a licence was not required to have exotic animals in the Gauteng province where Sheba was kept.
