A French zoo near Paris, previously regarded as an animal sanctuary, experienced a shocking police raid that confiscated 14 big cats, including lion and tiger cubs.

The establishment, called Caresse de Tigre, lured visitors with promises of close animal encounters, allowing them to feed the animals Camembert cheese and whipped cream while posing for photos.

The raid followed a formal complaint filed in December 2019 by the global animal welfare organization Four Paws and its local partner AVES France.

The complaint accused the zoo of commercial exploitation of wild animals, citing paid interactions such as selfies, petting, and bottle feeding, all conducted without the required permits.

Kieran Harkin, Head of Wild Animals in Trade at Four Paws, condemned the zoo’s practices, criticizing the exploitation masked as rescue efforts.

Despite the owner’s claims of rescuing animals from circuses and dubious zoos, Four Paws uncovered that the facility was allegedly breeding big cats for profit, neglecting species-appropriate care and welfare standards.

Currently, the fate of the seized animals remains uncertain as authorities continue their investigation.

Four Pawsadvocatesr species-appropriate care for at least three cubs among the seized animals. However, the animals are held on-site until a long-term solution is determined.

This incident has highlighted the deficiencies in animal welfare standards in France, which ranks ‘C’ on the Animal Protection Index regarding protecting animals in captivity.

Despite France recognizing animal sentience and prohibiting animal suffering in its legislation, there are significant gaps in ensuring thorough animal protection.

As the investigation proceeds, this case highlights the urgent need for stringent regulations and ethical practices in wildlife management.

It emphasizesglobal cooperation’s importance in preventing exploitation and safeguardingd animal welfare.