This article is from the source 'guardian' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.
You can find the current article at its original source at http://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/jun/14/georgia-floods-deaths-feared-zoo-animals-on-loose
The article has changed 7 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.
| Version 3 | Version 4 |
|---|---|
| Zoo animals on the loose and deaths feared after Georgia floods | Zoo animals on the loose and deaths feared after Georgia floods |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| Tigers, lions, wolves and bears are feared to be still on the loose in Georgia’s capital, amid chaotic scenes brought by devastating floods that have reportedly killed eight people. | Tigers, lions, wolves and bears are feared to be still on the loose in Georgia’s capital, amid chaotic scenes brought by devastating floods that have reportedly killed eight people. |
| Images of an escaped hippopotamus being cornered in one of Tbilisi’s main squares after escaping from the city’s zoo have emerged, while other animals have been killed or remain at large. | Images of an escaped hippopotamus being cornered in one of Tbilisi’s main squares after escaping from the city’s zoo have emerged, while other animals have been killed or remain at large. |
| Extraordinary images out of #Tbilisi after flooding tigers, lions, bears and wolves have escaped from the city's zoo. pic.twitter.com/f6Y7ISa4Oh | Extraordinary images out of #Tbilisi after flooding tigers, lions, bears and wolves have escaped from the city's zoo. pic.twitter.com/f6Y7ISa4Oh |
| Heavy rainfall turned the Vere river – which flows through the capital – into a torrent that swept away dozens of buildings and cars. At least eight people have been killed, according to news agencies, while others are missing. | Heavy rainfall turned the Vere river – which flows through the capital – into a torrent that swept away dozens of buildings and cars. At least eight people have been killed, according to news agencies, while others are missing. |
| “The damage is substantial,” the prime minister, Irakli Garibashvili, told reporters. He also called on residents to stay home as the search for the animals continued. | “The damage is substantial,” the prime minister, Irakli Garibashvili, told reporters. He also called on residents to stay home as the search for the animals continued. |
| Carcasses of wild animals that have been shot dead litter the streets and tangled heaps of wreckage scar a large area around Tbilisi’s zoo after Saturday night’s flash flood. | |
| The zoo itself has been almost totally destroyed, says its director, with most of its animals either drowned or shot after escaping. “It’s an unbelievable tragedy,” said Zura Gurielidze as he surveyed his stricken zoo park. | |
| Three of his staff were among those reported dead in the disaster. Among them was 56-year-old Guliko Chitadze, who was attacked by one of the zoo’s tigers last month and lost an arm. She had just returned to work, telling fellow staff she did not blame the tiger for what happened. She lived in the zoo grounds with her husband, who died with her. | |
| The escaped hippo was cornered in one of the city’s main squares on Sunday and subdued with a tranquilliser gun, the zoo said. Some other animals also have been seized, but it remained unclear how many were still on the loose. | |
| Police with rifles were still combing the tree-covered hills above the zoo looking for the escaped animals as the remains of a hyena shot dead lay in the nearby grounds of Tbilisi State University. It had chased one of the staff, according to a police officer, who then locked himself in a shed and called for help. | |
| There are also reports of people using their hunting rifles to shoot animals they see, and Gurielidze appealed for them not to, in case they could be saved. There were no immediate reports that any of the other fatalities were due to animal attacks. | There are also reports of people using their hunting rifles to shoot animals they see, and Gurielidze appealed for them not to, in case they could be saved. There were no immediate reports that any of the other fatalities were due to animal attacks. |
| Among the biggest tragedies for the zoo is the loss of a rare white lion called Shumba. It had become one of the zoo’s biggest attractions after they paired it with a dog to keep it company, after Shumba’s mother stopped caring for him. They became friends and could be seen playing and sleeping together right outside the zoo’s main offices. | Among the biggest tragedies for the zoo is the loss of a rare white lion called Shumba. It had become one of the zoo’s biggest attractions after they paired it with a dog to keep it company, after Shumba’s mother stopped caring for him. They became friends and could be seen playing and sleeping together right outside the zoo’s main offices. |
| Images on Tbilisi city hall’s Facebook page showed roads submerged by floodwater and landslides with many vehicles washed away, while rescue workers carried people on their shoulders through waist-high water. | Images on Tbilisi city hall’s Facebook page showed roads submerged by floodwater and landslides with many vehicles washed away, while rescue workers carried people on their shoulders through waist-high water. |