S. African game farm checked after tiger attack

25/06/2007 12:10 – (SA)

Bloemfontein – All permits are in order at the Heilbron game farm in the Free State where a Bengal tiger attacked a child and her father at the weekend, environmental officials said on Monday.

“There is no problem with the camps, fences or permits,” said Werner Boing, spokesperson on biodiversity compliance at the local department of environmental affairs.

Boing said officials visited the game farm on Sunday.

This came after an 18-month-old girl’s face was seriously injured when a Bengal tiger grabbed at her through a fence during a visit to the farm on Saturday.

The girl’s father’s left hand was also injured and both were admitted to Midvaal Hospital at Drie Riviere in Vereeniging.

A hospital spokesperson said on Monday the family had asked that no information about the girl and her father be given to the media.

There were various yellow warning signs at the Moratuwa Game and Holiday farm, near Heilbron, that caution people to the dangerous predators on the farm, the Volksblad newspaper reported on Monday.

According to the report parents are reminded that children should always be with adults and to stay about two metres from the fences.

The owner of the farm was not at home when the incident happened.

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