SIYABONGA SITHOLE
As the search for the 8-year-old tigress, Sheba continues following her escape from a farm enclosure on Friday, spokesperson for the De Deur Community Police Forum Gresham Mandy said the tiger appeared briefly on Monday evening.
Mandy said the Sheba came back home and grabbed some meat which was left outside the door and immediately ran away again.
“We can confirm that the tigress came home, grabbed some piece of meat that was left outside the door and bolted again.
“We think that this is a very good sign. She was spotted via drone footage at a waterhole. The tracking team on foot saw paw prints around the water hole. They also smelt her and she was very close. Unfortunately, the bush was too thick and too risky for them to venture into the bush,” said Mandy.
Mandy also said that the search team, which includes members of the police and special task force, would continue until she is found.
“Tonight we are going to be putting a carcass out with a bit of tranquilising medicines in it to get it to take it and hopefully, it will make her drowsy and it will be easy for the team to move in and maybe dart her and capture her. This is very positive news indeed,” he said.
The tigress is reported to have mauled a 39-year- old male and killed two dogs and one pig since it escaped.
It is reported that the tiger escaped its enclosure after the fence was cut open by unknown people. The motive for doing so is not known.
On Monday the search party using drones and a helicopter were unable to locate Sheba after hours of an intensive search in and around the farm area where the tiger was last seen on Friday.
However, indications were that she could have been hiding and waiting for night time before making his return to her home.