Stay up to date with notifications from The Independent

Notifications can be managed in browser preferences.

Tiger roams the streets of Paris after escaping from circus

Large cat on the loose about a mile from the Eiffel Tower for 'some time' 

Saturday 25 November 2017 00:35 GMT
Comments
Police officials and rescue personnel transport the body of a tiger which had escaped from a circus into a vehicle
Police officials and rescue personnel transport the body of a tiger which had escaped from a circus into a vehicle (AFP)

Your support helps us to tell the story

From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.

At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.

The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.

Your support makes all the difference.

A 200kg tiger escaped from the circus in Paris and roamed the streets of the French capital before it was shot and killed by its owner.

The big cat was on the loose about a mile from the Eiffel Tower for “some time”, but the creature did not hurt anyone as it moseyed around the city.

Local media reported that it managed to wander into a train station, forcing staff into and emergency evacuation.

Tram’s were also suspended in the area, as witnesses said they saw police going down the tracks.

A member of staff from the Bormann Moreno circus “neutralised” the animal with a shotgun and police took to Twitter to inform people that “all danger was over”.

Images of the dead creature quickly circulated across social media with many users upset that it had been killed.

"It was a very big tiger," a witness called Ralph told Le Parisien newspaper. "We heard two or three shots and saw police going down towards the tracks."

It was unclear how the creature escaped from the circus but police had reportedly taken its owner into custody for questioning.

There is no ban on circus animals in France. It the UK they are protected by the Animal Welfare Act.

In England wild animals must be licensed but there is no law to stop circuses using certain types of animals. In Wales, there is no licensing requirement.

Join our commenting forum

Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies

Comments

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in