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| Georgia police shoot tiger that killed man after zoo escape | Georgia police shoot tiger that killed man after zoo escape |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| Related: Floods in Tbilisi and its zoo – in pictures | Related: Floods in Tbilisi and its zoo – in pictures |
| Police in Tbilisi say a tiger that broke loose after severe flooding at a zoo in the Georgian capital over the weekend has been shot by marksmen after it killed a man and wounded another.. | Police in Tbilisi say a tiger that broke loose after severe flooding at a zoo in the Georgian capital over the weekend has been shot by marksmen after it killed a man and wounded another.. |
| It has emerged that other animals may still be on the loose, amid conflicting statements from the government and zoo officials. | It has emerged that other animals may still be on the loose, amid conflicting statements from the government and zoo officials. |
| The man who died is believed to be in his 40s. The tiger reportedly attacked him around midday as he and two others entered a flood-damaged building near Tbilisi’s Heroes Square in the centre of the city, a few hundred metres from the zoo. | The man who died is believed to be in his 40s. The tiger reportedly attacked him around midday as he and two others entered a flood-damaged building near Tbilisi’s Heroes Square in the centre of the city, a few hundred metres from the zoo. |
| It brings to 20 the number of people killed in the disaster, with most of the casualties residents of homes that were flooded by the sudden deluge on Saturday night. At least six people are reported to be still missing. | It brings to 20 the number of people killed in the disaster, with most of the casualties residents of homes that were flooded by the sudden deluge on Saturday night. At least six people are reported to be still missing. |
| Amid scenes of panic on Wednesday, police swarmed over the area and officers from the “special tasks” department of Georgia’s interior ministry surrounded the big cat inside a complex of garages and warehouses. Initial reports had said it was a lion. | Amid scenes of panic on Wednesday, police swarmed over the area and officers from the “special tasks” department of Georgia’s interior ministry surrounded the big cat inside a complex of garages and warehouses. Initial reports had said it was a lion. |
| About an hour and a half after the attack, an interior ministry spokeswoman said the rare white tiger had been “liquidated”. The big cat was shot as it tried to attack one of the officers, said another official. He added: “They had no possibility of using a tranquiliser”. | About an hour and a half after the attack, an interior ministry spokeswoman said the rare white tiger had been “liquidated”. The big cat was shot as it tried to attack one of the officers, said another official. He added: “They had no possibility of using a tranquiliser”. |
| Related: Georgia police accused of unnecessarily shooting zoo animals in wake of floods | Related: Georgia police accused of unnecessarily shooting zoo animals in wake of floods |
| There has been controversy over the way the same special police unit reacted to the flooding at the zoo, with some workers saying that many animals were shot unnecessarily. | There has been controversy over the way the same special police unit reacted to the flooding at the zoo, with some workers saying that many animals were shot unnecessarily. |
| The government said its officers had done all they could to save the animals caught in the flood, but had to put the safety of Tbilisi residents first. But there is mounting alarm that at least two other big animals may still be on the loose in Tbilisi, four days after the flash flood. | The government said its officers had done all they could to save the animals caught in the flood, but had to put the safety of Tbilisi residents first. But there is mounting alarm that at least two other big animals may still be on the loose in Tbilisi, four days after the flash flood. |
| On Tuesday, the head of the government’s crisis management council, Mindia Janelidze, was quoted as saying all the zoo animals had been accounted for. But the zoo itself released a later statement saying it was still missing a tiger, as well as a bear and a hyena. | On Tuesday, the head of the government’s crisis management council, Mindia Janelidze, was quoted as saying all the zoo animals had been accounted for. But the zoo itself released a later statement saying it was still missing a tiger, as well as a bear and a hyena. |
| “Is it safe or not? We don’t know what to believe,” said one Tbilisi resident, who lives near the city centre. | “Is it safe or not? We don’t know what to believe,” said one Tbilisi resident, who lives near the city centre. |
| At the time the tiger attacked, hundreds of young volunteers were helping to clear up the extensive flood damage in residential areas and a popular city park near the zoo. | At the time the tiger attacked, hundreds of young volunteers were helping to clear up the extensive flood damage in residential areas and a popular city park near the zoo. |
| Georgian people power. 100s of volunteers helping clear Mziuri park after #tbilisiflood pic.twitter.com/aKcC0WaF9Y | Georgian people power. 100s of volunteers helping clear Mziuri park after #tbilisiflood pic.twitter.com/aKcC0WaF9Y |
| There’s been praise for the way people have rallied round to help, organising donations of clothing and other essentials as well as assisting with the clear-up effort. | |
| It has also emerged that one of the zoo’s penguins made it as far as neighbouring Azerbaijan, about 37 miles away. Zoo officials said the penguin floated downriver and was picked up at a bridge near the Azeri-Georgian border. | |
| The fatal tiger attack is now fuelling increasing acrimony over who is to blame for the disaster, with many accusing the government of a witch-hunt. | |
| In a bizarre move, the zoo’s director Zurab Gurielidze was called in for questioning by the police and later emerged to say the man’s death was “all my fault”. | |
| But many Georgians have been taking to Facebook – which has particularly high penetration here – to vent their fury at what they say is the government’s incompetence. | |
| Amid the fears and rumours of more runaway zoo animals, many Tbilisi residents have been staying in doors again. In the early evening, police were called after another escaped animal was reportedly spotted in Vake, one of the city’s wealthiest neighbourhoods. The reports variously described the animal as a tiger, a bear, a wolf and a hyena. |