[imagesource: All News]

On Saturday night, a female tiger escaped from its cage in Walkerville, south of Johannesburg, and is still AWOL.

The fully grown tigress has already killed a dog and attacked a man walking about a kilometre from the farm, per the Walkerville community policing forum’s Gresham Mandy.

Mandy said that the big cat managed to escape its cage at the farm where it was being kept with a male as the fence had been cut, according to the owner.

The newly free animal has been making up for lost time, having killed a dog, before mauling another dog, which had to be put down.

The tiger then attacked a man, who managed to escape without serious injury, per The Citizen:

“He was bending over to tie his shoes, and she attacked him from behind, he screamed, and then people ran out from one of the dwellings with torches and managed to chase the tiger off,” said Mandy.

The big cats are kept on Walkers Fruit Farms, described as a “very different area to all the other parts of Walkerville”.

eNCA has a video with more:

Per TimesLIVE, the Vereeniging and Vanderbijlpark SPCA said its team was on the search along with authorities to ensure the safe capture of the tiger.

It is the hope that she will be safely darted when found and then transport to a sanctuary, however, police have also given local authorities the green light to shoot to kill should the situation escalate.

Everybody in the area is asked to stay away from the wild animal as she is dangerous and to call the emergency number – 083 292 5862 – if she is spotted.

Leave the lady be, she might just head home when she gets thirsty.

[sources:timeslive&citizen]