tiger who was found on Wednesday night after going walkabout for

two days, celebrated by opening a bottle of whiskey for himself,

and a bottle of milk for his beloved animal.

"When I called out to him, he came straight towards me, put his

head on my shoulder and purred," Fernandes told Sapa over the

phone.

 

"And he carried on purring all the way back, this is how I

communicate with him, we understand each other...everyone is now

having a whiskey at home, we are ecstatic and relieved."

Fernando said the party would continue till Thursday.

Panjo was found in the bushes near Verena, Mpumalanga, at around

8pm.

 

A frantic search began for the majestic animal after he jumped

out of his owners' bakkie in Delmas on Monday evening.

"He was frightened, terrified, I lured him with a piece of rump

steak...but he knew me already," Fernandes said before calling out

Panjo's name.

 

"Yes, he is walking around the house, we haven't put him back

onto the farm. He is enjoying being home, and we are enjoying him."

The animal was transported back in the same vehicle he escaped

from.

 

Fernandes said he had been taking the 145kg animal to a vet for

his vaccinations and a chip to be inserted, when "he went AWOL".

"You know, when I realised he was gone, I just fell to my knees,

phoned my wife and said to her 'dear God, Panjo's gone'," said an

emotional Fernandes.

 

He said when sniffer dogs tracked the scent of the animal,

people who were part of the search team "started going ape".

"I told them, please just leave him [Panjo] alone. It was dark,

they were waving torches in hand...I must say I got a bit cheesed

off, so I said to them, 'Please, let me load him into the van.' "

Panjo, a Bengal tiger, caused much panic amongst community

members since his escape.

 

Some expressed fears that he may attack a person as he had not

eaten since Monday evening. Many also claimed to have spotted the animal. Earlier on Wednesday Fernandes said he had started receiving

calls from people demanding money as compensation for their

animals, they said were eaten by the feline, which was used to

getting food from his owner.

 

"One guy said, 'your cat just killed three of my cows. I have

got him and I want R10,000'," said Fernandes. "I told him, 'I will

give you R20,000, just keep him there', but then I can't get hold

of him again."

 

It was eventually a sighting by a farmer in Verena that led to

Panjo being found, Fernandes said.

"He had quite a roam."

 

Panjo was born on February 21, last year on Fernandes' property.

"He was born on Robert Mugabe's birthday, but Panjo is too

loveable," he chuckled.