Almost 50 pit bulls have been surrendered by their owners in Blomfontein following the fatal mauling of an 8-year-old child at the weekend, South Africa’s Society for the Prevention of Cruelty Of Animals (SPCA) said.

There are growing calls in South Africa for pit bull dogs to be banned as domestic pets with nearly 90,000 people having now signed an online petition supporting that demand.

The Sizwe Kupelo Foundation, who are behind the petition, said the push for a ban was “necessitated by the attacks which seem to continue unabated”.

South Africa has one of the highest incidents of deaths related to dog attacks in the world relative to its population, according to reports.