Back to normal for celeb Panjo
2010-07-29 23:10
Groblersdal - "Our family is back together
again."
The Fernandes family said on Thursday that the family
is complete once again, as they gently stroked and cuddled their tiger Panjo.
Back at his home on the Jugomaro game farm in
Groblersdal, the 18-month-old Bengal tiger posed for countless photos on
Thursday while drinking milk from his bottle.
Panjo was found on Wednesday night on the R25, about
40km from Bronkhorstspruit and 10km from the Verena squatter camp, after
escaping from owner Goosey Fernandes' bakkie on Monday night.
Fernandes' son Justin, 23, said Panjo was so hungry
after his two-day ordeal that he gobbled up 25kg of meat when he arrived at
home and on Thursday had a further 15kg.
Justin played with the clearly exhausted,
young tiger lying on the lawn in front of the farmhouse.
"Panjo first had some milk on Wednesday night
before falling asleep on a couch in the TV room."
Panjo, who sustained minor scrape marks on his face, right
paw and right shoulder, was also reunited with his eight Jack Russell buddies.
On Friday he will sleep in his cage again, which measures 100m by 50m and is
enclosed by electric fencing.
It contains a swimming pool, a cozy cave where he
can sleep as well as his toys.
"This is his little bit of heaven on earth.
According to nature conservation standards his enclosure only needs to be 20m
by 5m, but we made it much bigger because we're going to be getting a mate for
him soon to start breeding," said Justin.
'Family complete again'
Fernandes said he does have the necessary permits for
his big cat. However, he was fined R1 500 by the Marble Hall police station in
Limpopo for transporting Panjo over the Limpopo/Mpumalanga provincial border,
in accordance with the Animals Protection Act.
"I'll sort out the transport permits as soon as
possible," Fernandes said.
Fernandes said he "loves his kitty-cat very
much" and that he "spent some time kissing and hugging" Panjo
when he came home.
"We are soon receiving three tigers and a
3-week-old white female tiger cub, who will become Panjo's breeding mate."
Panjo was bought from a breeding farm in Zeerust when
he was 3 weeks old, where his mother had rejected him for being
"sickly".
"Panjo is our child. Now that he's back home, our
family is complete again."
Fernandes' wife, Rose, said they are still overwhelmed
by all the calls and support they have received from across the country and as
far abroad as England.
"Children in particular are interested and want
to come and visit Panjo. We're so grateful to everyone who helped to look for
him, and we're ecstatic that he's been found safely."
They were on their way to a vet in Springs who would
have given Panjo his last vaccinations and inserted a microchip when Panjo went
missing. The vet will now see him in Groblersdal, said Fernandes.
"I'm not taking any chances with taking him to
Springs again."