After a tense and difficult seizure between the police and the circus people, the six wild animals were rescued and taken in by a shelter in Eure-et-Loir.
Three tigresses and three lionesses belonging to a circus were seized on the night of Friday 30 to Saturday 31 August in Villeneuve-d’Ascq (Nord) due to their mistreatment. The six wild animals were living permanently in a truck, the animal protection association Stéphane Lamart said in a press release.
The Lille public prosecutor’s office carried out an investigation after noting the presence of these animals for several days in the truck, parked on the public highway inside a park in the town.
The seizure was carried out with difficulty and tension, according to the Stéphane Lamart association: the circus performers worked to slow down the police procedure by trying to flee, puncturing the trailer’s tires or damaging the braking system.
They also used stunt vehicles, such as monster trucks, to try to block the police officers who came to seize the six wild animals. The seizure was finally made thanks to the addition of 60 officers and CRS, alongside the 20 police officers initially planned.
The police convoy was nevertheless followed for several kilometers by the fairground workers.
Wild animals taken care of in Eure-et-Loir
The Stéphane Lamart association, which brought a civil action in the proceedings, worked with the Lille public prosecutor’s office to find a housing solution for the lionesses and tigresses.
The wild animals finally reached the La Tanière zoo-refuge in Nogent-le-Phaye in Eure-et-Loir, after a 14-hour drive.
“The entire operation was carried out in a single day, which is a record, considering the time usually needed for this type of rescue,” the association emphasizes. The three tigresses and three lionesses are now in a safe place, it adds.
