My tigers are not a danger to the public – Cheddar

Ghanaian business mogul, Nana Kwame Bediako popularly known as Freedom Jacob Ceaser alias Chedder, has denied reports that he is housing two tiger cubs who pose danger to the public.

Daily Guide on Thursday, May 19, 2022, reported that some residents of Wonda Land estates were living in fear as a result of the presence of two tiger cubs being kept by Cheddar in his house.

Responding to the matter in an interview with the media, the business mogul confirmed the presence of the cubs in his building but allayed the concerns of public safety.

According to the businessman, adequate measures have been put in place to ensure the safety of both the wild cats and members of the public including persons residing in the estate.

“I read the story but I didn’t finish it because when you are reading something about yourself and you see too many paragraphs in lies, it is difficult to finish it. But from what I have seen and heard, I don’t think I am putting anyone in danger because the necessary procedures to protect the animals have been done. The necessary procedures to be able to build a future for the animals are in process with the commissioners. So I don’t know if somebody is saying this has happened or that has happened but these animals have not harmed anybody. They have not been out there on the streets. They are being fed and taken care of, and they are still cubs. They haven’t even turned into a year, they are still in their sixth-seventh month,” he stated.

On the issue of the cubs posing danger to the public, Cheddar emphasized that all appropriate measures including regulatory procedures had been followed in housing the animals.

“I wouldn’t like to just keep mentioning organizations and everything but we all know that these are not things that you can just go to the market and buy them, and come put them in your house. So I definitely had to go through the procedure. The procedures are that protection is well mounted. The protection is well mounted and the safety of the public is very much considered. And so at my own time. I would like to probably even show how we went through the process of creating that protection and making sure that the animals were fed, trained and many things,” he stated.

On how he happened to house the tigers, the business mogul noted that the acquisition of the cubs has never been about himself but his long-term vision for Ghana’s tourism industry.

“The tigers are almost now seven months (old). I mean at a year they will be around the size that they will be dangerous and we have put in all the serious measures in place to protect them for now whiles we finish the cage or the zoo. These are animals that climb, so you can’t just put them in a normal cage. These are animals if you can’t feed them, they become very wild. So you can’t just leave them and say somebody should take them; unless they sign with you that we are going to feed them four times a day, we are going to do this, we are going to do that.

“So yes, I really consider the danger side. But I am not here to harm people and I am not here to encourage people should have tigers to harm people. I am here because I want to boost our tourism, I want to add value to our country. I have invested in these animals and it cost me well over a hundred thousand to be able to get them to this level. And we are willing to invest more until they are safe until people can visit them, and people can be a part of them,” he said.

Further on the matter of public concerns about the cubs, Nana Bediako noted that all the residents of the estate have been engaged on the matter except one household who remain adamant about the measures put in place to protect both the animals and the public.

The two rare white tigers according to the business man were purchased during a bid in South Africa for the purpose of adding “to the tourism in our country. I wanted to go into the safari world by making sure Ghana becomes the first country in West Africa, East Africa and Central Africa; except for South Africa. We wanted to have it. I went in for the male and the female version of it and I have been having them for the past six months,

“The reasons why I have been keeping them with me is because of the process, when you have this animals what you have to do. You have to feed them when they are babies, six times a day. Then it comes to four times and you have to train them; you have to have someone taking care of them, veterinary, all of that. And so I have gone through the right process and I brought experts from outside to create a safety cage for these animals so then don’t become a danger to the public.”

Nana Bediako revealed that he is having talks with the Forestry Commission to create a zoo where the tigers and other wild animals will be kept for tourism.