According to Paris police, the 440-pound tiger escaped from Cirque Bormann-Moreno on Friday and meandered around the capital for "some time" before it was tracked down by its owner.
« C’est impressionnant de voir ça à Paris ». Deux dompteurs sont partis avec une perche et un morceau de viande pour récupérer le tigre
— MargauxDuguet (@MargauxDuguet) November 24, 2017
Witnesses say two circus personnel lured the tiger to an alleyway using a slab of meat attached to a pole. With the target cornered, the owner was reportedly able to take two shots and neutralize the big cat.
Voilà la photo du tigre prise par Ralph d’une fenêtre de FranceTv pic.twitter.com/vsqcFSxc1P
— MargauxDuguet (@MargauxDuguet) November 24, 2017
The owner, after being taken into police custody, is said to be in "shock" from the incident, according to a Paris fire department official.
While authorities eventually removed the wild cat from the area to conduct an autopsy, many snapped pictures of the deceased tiger. The images, shared online, triggered outrage among netizens both against the killing and against circuses in general.
Escaped tiger has been killed by circus personnel. Can we all agree it's time circuses were consigned to history? #Paris #Tiger #AWildLifeForWildlife
— Emma James (@jmojames) November 24, 2017
A tiger got out of a circus in paris and they didnt think of any other way but to kill him smh im tired
— 🐑 (@yeolicious__) November 24, 2017
A circus tiger that escaped, shot on Paris' streets. Poor thing. A tiger in a circus! A circus! And to come to his ending like this.. https://t.co/JMgQVkmsAb
— Stacey (@BioGibberish) November 24, 2017
No injuries or deaths related to the tiger's escape have been reported, but police have opened an investigation.
Cirque Bormann-Moreno, which was planning a grand opening on December 3, has yet to comment on the incident.
