Historical ruling: the circus trainer of the ten tigers seized following a One Voice investigation has been heavily convicted!

According to Muriel Arnal, President of One Voice:

The tribunal ruled that the tigers and equipment would be confiscated permanently and that the Tonga Terre d’Accueil — the refuge that we chose to welcome the animals — and we must in particular receive repayment of the sum spent on the ten tigers since them being seized in the name of justice in December 2020. The State and the URSSAF must also receive the sum linked in particular to the secret work that Masson was involved in.

We have known Mario Masson since 2005; then he kept two terribly mistreated elephants. The investigation to initiate the complaint to the prosecutor was one of the most risky, but it was essential: our previous complaints had been dismissed. The seizure was done in total secrecy because he bred tigers to sell the babies when they were scarcely even a few days old, and some knew and turned a blind eye. The hearing lasted more than 8 hours, and was led for us by Maitre Caroline Lanty.

Since them being seized almost two years ago, we have also offered these tigers a new life far away from the lorry-cage in which they stagnated for such a long time. Far from training and their prison guards, they have been taken over by an attentive team. They have been able to discover grass and benefit from the simple joy of running and hiding, all while making the most of the enrichment at their disposal. An enclosure is currently being built to take them to a partner sanctuary.

Translated from the French by Joely Justice