Three tigresses and three lionesses from a circus lived permanently in a truck: the big cats seized due to their mistreatment

Les fauves ont été transférés au zoo-refuge de La Tanière à Nogent-le-Phaye en Eure-et-Loir (illustration). Unsplash – Jeffrey Eisen

After a delicate and conflictual seizure between the police and the circus people, the six big cats were rescued and transferred to a shelter in Eure-et-Loir.

Three tigresses and three lionesses belonging to a circus were seized during the night of Friday 30 to Saturday 31 August 2024 in Villeneuve-d'Ascq (Nord) due to their mistreatment. The six big cats lived permanently in a truck, indicates the animal protection association Stéphane Lamart in a press release quoted by BFM TV.

A complicated seizure

The Lille prosecutor's office opened an investigation after finding that the animals had remained for several days in the truck parked on the track public in a municipal park. The seizure of the wild animals was described as complicated and tense by the Stéphane Lamart association.

The circus workers tried to slow down the procedure by fleeing, puncturing the trailer's tires, and damaging the braking system. They also used stunt vehicles, including monster trucks, to block the way for the police officers who came to carry out the seizure.

Finally, the seizure was carried out thanks to the intervention of 60 civil servants and CRS, in addition to the 20 police officers initially planned. The police convoy was followed for several kilometers by the fairground workers, but the operation managed to end the same day.

14 hours of driving

The Stéphane Lamart association, a civil party in the proceedings, collaborated with the Lille public prosecutor's office to find a housing solution for the lionesses and tigresses. After a 14-hour drive, the big cats were transferred to the La Tanière zoo-refuge in Nogent-le-Phaye in Eure-et-Loir.

The association stressed that “the entire operation was carried out in a single day, which is a record, given the time generally needed for this type of rescue.” The three tigresses and three lionesses are now in a safe place.