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Tiger shot dead in Paris after escaping from circus

Tiger shot dead in Paris after escaping from circus
Tiger shot dead in Paris after escaping from circus

A tiger has been shot and killed in Paris after escaping from a circus.

The animal was spotted roaming the streets in the 15th district, just south of the Eiffel Tower, and residents called emergency services at around 6pm local time.

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Tram traffic was suspended as the search for the animal was underway.

A fire service spokesman said the tiger was shot dead by its owner in an alley.

According to the BBC, one witness said: "It was a very big tiger.

"We heard two or three shots and saw police going down towards the tracks."

The tiger had come from the Bormann Moreno circus, which has set up in central Paris.

Speaking to the Guardian, Valerian Fuet, a spokesman for the firefighters called to the scene, said: "The owner was in shock. When we arrived the 200kg (31-stone) tiger was already dead. It was not in the street, there were no passers-by".

The owner was taken away by the police for questioning, and the body of the tiger was taken away for an autopsy.

A police investigation has now been opened into the incident.

The Guardian adds that the Brigitte Bardot foundation called on authorities to ban the use of animals in circuses.