Jukani Wildlife Predator Park - Garden Route - South Africa

Angelo and Mich, two white Bengal tiger cubs, arrived at Jukani Wildlife Predator Park in Mossel Bay during December 2008. Their arrival was the result of a request by a Wildlife breeding facility in the Free State Province to Jukani to assist them in importing four white Bengal tigers from Elmvale Zoo in Canada. Free State Province in SA does not allow the import of exotic species into the Province. Jukani is recognised by the authorities as a bona fide zoological facility and as such able to import animals.

The request was agreed to by Jukani with the understanding that 2 tigers would stay at Jukani on loan and any progeny going to the facility in FS Province after the FS facility managed to acquire a permit for two of the four white Bengals to be kept in the FS.

In July 2009 a wildlife veterinarian specialist diagnosed Angelo the white Bengal tiger male with Progressive Retinal Atrophy, a genetic transferable and incurable disease that would leave him permanently blind. As a result of his disease he would need specialist and continued medical treatment, with a team of care takers that he trusts and accepts.

On supplying this info to the owner of the FS based facility they immediately replied that we should either buy the two animals, demanding a sum of R240 000-00 per animal, which was later raised to R250 000-00 each, or they would remove and / or sell them to somebody else, irrespective of our plight that Angelo cannot be used as a breeding male and that he is reliant on Mich, the female, acting as his eyes. Fortunately our written agreement makes provision for Jukani to have first option of purchase at an agreed market related price and we chose to exercise that right as a uncertain future awaits the tigers, should they be removed from our facilities.