It's Time to Ban Animals in Circuses in France

While city, state and national governments have been banning the use in animals in entertainment all across the world, it seems like France, hasn't gotten the memo. And now, a rare tiger has paid the ultimate price.

Last week, a tiger escaped its enclosure from a Paris circus and ran into the streets. The news delayed public transport and brought officials scrambling to figure out what to do. But by the time officials arrived the tiger had already been killed by its owner.

These accounts are not uncommon, last September another circus tiger was shot dead in Atlanta after it too escaped. These stories are both tragic and avoidable. Tigers, like other animals shouldn't be used in circuses in the first place. Using them as tools for our entertainment is cruel and can often end up with the animals being mistreated, abused or even worse as the Paris incident suggests.

Over the past several years, several cities, states and even countries have banned the use of animals in entertainment. Earlier this month in fact, Italy decided to join them banning all animals in circuses. These bans protect animals and work towards making the animal entertainment industry a thing of the past.

It's time France join Italy, Belgium, Austria, El Salvador, Sweden and a whole host of other national and local governments in ending the animal entertainment industry. Please sign the petition and ask French President Emmanuel Macron and ecology minister Nicolas Hulot to end the use of animals in circuses in France.