Overview

• The Lille criminal court found Nordine B. and Nawel T. guilty of unauthorized possession of a non-domestic animal tied to the 2019 escape case.
• The court handed down suspended prison terms, concluding a case that returned to court nearly six years after the panther’s rooftop ordeal.
• The young panther escaped an apartment in September 2019, was sedated by a veterinary firefighter, then stolen from the Maubeuge zoo before resurfacing in a Dutch sanctuary where caretakers report it is healthy.
• Civil parties from Fondation 30 Millions d’Amis and the regional animal protection league argued the animal lacked required legal certification and was kept in unsuitable conditions.
• Unresolved questions persist about the animal’s provenance and possible trafficking links, while police searches linked to the main defendant reportedly uncovered over €100,000 in bearer bonds, ammunition, and stolen vehicles.