Bardot joins fray

French cinema legend Brigitte Bardot has threatened to follow Gerard Depardieu out of France unless two elephants under threat of being put down are granted a reprieve. In a surreal twist to the saga over Depardieu’s move into tax exile, the veteran animal rights campaigner said she would emulate his request for Russian nationality unless authorities intervened to save Baby and Nepal. The elephants face being put down because they have been diagnosed with tuberculosis, but a petition granted a temporary reprieve over Christmas. Bardot, 77, said she would be leaving France if the reprieve was not made permanent. Agencies