Businessman Freedom Jacob Caesar has admitted to having two tigers in his house at Wonda World Estates, Avenue Lincoln near the British High Commission at Ridge in Accra.

He said he brought the animals to help boost Ghana’s tourism.

According to him, he went through the right process in bringing the animals into the country.

“First of all, it is right; I have two tigers that I bought on a bid between Ghana and Dubai. I was the representative from the private sector that initiated my interest in purchasing these two animals. But we did go through the process; the animals are seven months old, still at the very young stage.”

“I went in to buy these animals to add the value of tourism in our country. I wanted to go into the Safari World by making sure that Ghana becomes the first country in West Africa, East Africa, and Central Africa, except for South Africa that have these animals.”

There were reports of some residents expressing concerns over the presence of the animals in the neighbourhood.

One of them said, “the animals stink. Those animals are held inside an apartment with no access to proper fresh air. As soon as the door is open, you sniff a strong unpleasant smell emanating from there.”

Another also said, “They are opened early in the morning and then sent inside around 10 am. They pee and poo on the floor. They also make noise which disturbs our sleep.”

The news subsequently started trending on social media and some traditional media.

However, reacting to the news,  Freedom Jacob Caesar said he has brought in experts to create a safety cage for the animals to ensure that they do not pose a danger to residents.

He added that the two animals are a male and a female and are six months old each.

“We wanted to be the first to have it, so I went in for the male and the female version of it; I have been keeping them on me for six months.

"I brought experts from outside to create a safety cage for these animals so they don’t become dangerous to the public.”

Meanwhile, the Ghana Police Service has said it is taking steps to remove the tigers from the private residence in Accra.

According to the police, their action follows the complaints from residents of the area.

“The Accra Regional Command of Thursday, May 19, 2022, received a complaint that some tigers were being kept in a residential neighbourhood in Accra.”

It made this known in a press statement issued on Thursday.