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Tiger roams the streets of Paris after escaping from circus

Police officials and rescue personnel transport the body of a tiger which had escaped from a circus into a vehicle: AFP
Police officials and rescue personnel transport the body of a tiger which had escaped from a circus into a vehicle: AFP

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.