[imagesource: Supplied to TimesLIVE]

Boksburg seems to have its very own Tiger King wannabes.

Matthew and Anneline Kruger own two white tigers and have been keeping them in the backyard of their East Rand property.

Besides the obvious criticisms one might have for owning exotic and endangered animals, the Krugers happen to live right next to a children’s daycare.

According to TimesLIVE, the teachers at the crèche spotted the tigers sitting on a jungle gym, watching them from over the wall, for the first time during outside playtime last week:

Image: Supplied to TimesLIVE

After the crèche owner found out that the neighbours had acquired two large white tigers, outside playtime was stopped.

The children have since been “caged in” out of fear for the tigers jumping over the fence:

“That fence is not high enough and the tigers will jump. If they don’t jump into our school, they will jump into our other neighbour’s house and, just across the road, there is an old age home. There are approximately four schools in this street so this is a danger to everyone living in the area,” the crèche owner said.

The crèche owner, who asked to remain anonymous, has tried to get help from wildlife organisations and the local councillor.

But her quest has not been successful.

Matthew and Anneline Kruger, through their lawyers, told Netwerk24 they complied with all the regulations in Gauteng regarding the keeping of exotic animals on their premises.

The attorneys representing the couple said there was nothing that precludes their clients from having a wild animal on their property.

Fiona Miles, a director of animal welfare organisation Four Paws, says the images she’s seen of the tigers are “appalling” but not surprising:

“Tigers have very little protection under SA law, despite being considered an endangered species. This is particularly true in Gauteng, where such cases of private keeping are prevalent.”

…“Many tigers are kept in suburban homes for reasons such as social media exposure. Despite being hand-reared and appearing playful, the cats are wild animals, sentient predators and keeping them in these conditions is hugely exploitative. Exercise and socialisation with other individuals of their species are not available to them, and there is the risk they could pose a danger to others unless adequate safety measures are taken.”

It’s estimated that there are currently 1 500 tigers kept in captivity in South Africa, while there are fewer than 4 000 left in the wild.

The National Council of SPCAs (NSPCA) also weighed in, saying keeping tigers in residential areas is not a good mix.

It puts the animals at high risk of becoming unnaturally stressed, as well as posing a safety risk to humans.

[source:timeslive]