A terrifying alarm was raised in the Shallcross area of Durban on Tuesday when a local resident sent a voice note claiming to have spotted a tiger and its cubs nestled under a tree in the bushes along Madho Road. The call sent the Shallcross Community Policing Forum (CPF) into action, with security companies and CPF members quickly mobilizing to investigate the distressing report.
The voice note, which was later shared with local media, detailed the woman’s frantic discovery: “There is a tiger there sleeping with its babies. I do not know how, but at the dead end, there is a tiger sleeping around there… Can you get security to check?” she begged.
The CPF chairperson, Vishal Lachman, explained that panic immediately set in after the voice note was received and confirmed by a security company. The prospect of a tiger being loose in the area had the community on edge, and multiple teams rushed to the location to verify the sighting.
After a tense search, Lachman and his team of volunteers were met with a surprisingly anticlimactic revelation—the supposed tiger and its cubs were nothing more than a weather-beaten stuffed animal left in the bushes. “After a thorough search, security companies and members reported that the ‘tiger’ was actually a teddy bear left in the bush!” Lachman said with a sigh of relief.
Mahendra Lillkan, a local resident, offered some insight into the strange incident. “She panicked. They had left the tiger on the roadside when I was leaving. The teddy bear was wet from the rain and dirty,” he explained. Apparently, the stuffed tiger had been abandoned by someone, possibly washed by the rain, which made it look like a real wild animal resting under the tree.
The Shallcross CPF, while relieved that the panic was unwarranted, expressed their gratitude to the security officers and CPF members who swiftly responded to the call. “This light-hearted incident reminds us that community spirit and quick thinking can bring us together, even in unexpected ways,” Lachman said, encouraging residents to continue watching out for each other.
This close call follows a series of real wildlife incidents in the region. In September 2024, a tiger cub was found at a residential property in Pietermaritzburg, sparking concerns about the illegal keeping of exotic animals. Just a month earlier, two lion cubs were discovered in Dawncliffe, Westville, further highlighting the issue of dangerous animals being kept in homes without the proper permits.
Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife has been actively involved in investigating such cases, with spokesperson Musa Mntambo confirming reports of a tiger being illegally housed at a property in Northern Park. Authorities, including the SPCA and police, responded to the situation, with the support of Westville SAPS, to safely locate and seize the cubs, despite facing some initial resistance from the property’s occupants.
Though the “tiger sighting” in Shallcross was a harmless mix-up, it serves as a reminder of the increasing concern over the illegal keeping of wild animals in residential areas. Community vigilance, as seen in this case, remains crucial in ensuring the safety of residents and the ethical treatment of wildlife.
