Tigers are not native to South Africa, so here are some useful tips on what to do if you encounter a tiger. (AFP)
In January, two privately-owned tigers were on the loose, one in the south of Joburg the other in the east of the city. Tigers are not native to South Africa, so here are some useful tips on what to do if you encounter a tiger.
In 2015, when a white tiger escaped from a zoo in Tbilisi, Georgia, The Guardian reported the following advice from Vicky Flynn, of TigerTime, a campaign to save wild tigers, on what to do in a tiger encounter. WikiHow also had some valuable advice.
– Do not run even though your instincts are telling you to become Usain Bolt. Like all cats, tigers enjoy a chase.
– Do not approach the tiger. It might look like a cute kitty but it’s not. It will attack you. Tigers, especially captive tigers, will be scared by the unusual setting and probably be highly agitated.
– Get yourself somewhere high up. Tigers are not good climbers and will generally not follow you up a tree.
– Stand up tall. If you look helpless it will attack you. Don’t play dead.
– Do not antagonise the tiger. You may be mauled.
– Do not urinate in a tiger’s territory. South African men may have a culture of peeing anywhere, but this should be resisted. Tigers mark their territory, and if you do the same, the tiger will see you as a threat.
Remember, this is not the tiger in the movie Life of Pi, where it eventually accepted the human. If you are mauled by a tiger, it may be shot.