The Director of Operations, Wildlife Division at the Forestry Commission, Kanton Luri, has said that the tigers belonging to Freedom Jacob Caser, are well protected in a cage.
Speaking to journalists in Accra on Friday May 20, he said “we want to assure the general public that the tigers are well secured in the cage. I must also reveal that their welfare is being taken care of.”
On Thursday May 19, Freedom Jacob Caesar has confirmed the presence of two tigers in his house, adding that he went through the right process in bringing the animals to boost Ghana’s tourism.
He says he brought in expert who created a safety cage for the animals in order to ensure that they do not pose a danger to society.
Residents of Wonder World Estates, Avenue Lincoln near the British High Commission at Ridge in Accra, were reported to have expressed deep concerns over the two tigers in their neigbourhood.
Multiple media reports quoted some residents who claimed that “the animals stink. Those animals are held inside an apartment where there is no access to proper fresh air. As soon as the door is open, you sniff a strong unpleasant smell emanating from them.”
Others also said, “They are opened early in the morning and then sent inside around 10am. They pee and poo on the floor. They also make noise which disturbs our sleep.”
Speaking on this development in interview with the press on Thursday May 19, Jacob Caesar said “First of all, it is right, I have two tigers that I bought on a bid between Ghana and Dubai which I was the representative from the private sector that had initiated my interest in purchasing these two animals. But we did go through the process, the animals are seven months old, still at the very young stage.
“I went in to buy these animals to add the value of tourism in our country. I wanted to go into the Safari World by making sure that Ghana becomes the first country in the whole of West Africa, East Africa and Central Africa, except for South Africa that have these animals.
“We wanted to be the first that will have it and so, I went in for the male and the female version of it, I have been keeping them on me for six months. I brought expects from outside to create safety cage for these animals so they don’t become dangerous to the public.”
Samuel Tiwonitaaba Kuteba, the trainer of the tigers revealed that the tigers are no longer dangerous to society because they have been declawed.
Speaking in interview with journalists on Friday May 20, he said “Since I came into contact with these animals I realized it is nice to be with them. Every time I come near them I don’t want to go back home because it is nice to be with them, they have a way of communicating.
” I love to be with them because of the way they are. Tigers have some areas in their lives that make them very dangerous, that is their nails. So we said if that is the dangerous part of them then why can’t we declaw them, so these animals that we are talking about that they are dangerous, their nails have been declawed, they don’t have nails.”