Two white Bengal tigers have been freed as part of the National Council of SPCA’s drive to free all exotic animals living in captivity in South Africa.
The tigers had been living in captivity for more than two years at a Boksburg residential property in Gauteng.
"These magnificent animals were sentenced to a barren, urban enclosure; trapped in a concrete jungle in suburbia, without a speck of grass or a tree in sight. With no freedom to express normal behaviour, the tigers became objects of human gratification," the animal rights group said in a media statement.
"The tigers’ release was both magnificent and heartbreaking – with the tigers taking excited leaps to freedom, while interacting with grass for the first time. Their bounds were filled with curiosity of their new haven, where they can live out the rest of their lives free from concrete and confinement," added NSPCA public relations and legal liaison, Jacques Peacock.
He said the NSPCA's Wildlife Protection Unit, in collaboration with the Boksburg SPCA Inspectorate and renowned big cat veterinarian Dr Peter Caldwell, attended to the Boksburg property to safely sedate and transport the tigers.
Peacock said the operation proceeded smoothly, and the tigers were relocated to an NSPCA-accredited wildlife facility, a sanctuary providing a habitat conducive to their wellbeing.
The animal rights advocacy group strongly opposes both the keeping and breeding of indigenous and exotic wild animals in captivity.
"We extend our sincere congratulations and gratitude to the Boksburg SPCA for their proactive stance in initiating this crucial step towards ending the confinement of exotic wild species in South Africa," Peacock said.
IOL