Zoo animals roam free after severe flooding in the Georgian capital Tbilisi
Heavy flooding in the Georgian capital Tbilisi has killed at least 12 people on Sunday. Tigers, lions, a hippopotamus and other animals have escaped from the city’s zoo after heavy flooding destroyed their enclosures, prompting authorities to warn residents in Tbilisi to say inside. Police had to shoot and kill several animals including a lion and a bear.
- A hippopotamus walks along a flooded street in Tbilisi on June 14, 2015. Tigers, lions, jaguars, bears and wolves escaped on June 14 from flooded zoo enclosures in the Georgian capital Tbilisi, the mayor’s office said. Some of the animals were captured by police while others were shot dead, the mayor’s office told local Rustavi 2 television. At least eight people have drowned and several others are missing in the Georgian capital Tbilisi in serious flooding. (Beso Gulashvili/Getty Images)
- People help a hippopotamus escape from a flooded zoo in Tbilisi, Georgia, Sunday, June 14, 2015. Tigers, lions, a hippopotamus and other animals have escaped from the zoo in Georgia’s capital after heavy flooding destroyed their enclosures, prompting authorities to warn residents in Tbilisi to stay inside Sunday. (AP Photo/Tinatin Kiguradze)
- People help a hippopotamus escape from a flooded zoo in Tbilisi, Georgia, Sunday, June 14, 2015. Tigers, lions, a hippopotamus and other animals have escaped from the zoo in Georgia’s capital after heavy flooding destroyed their enclosures, prompting authorities to warn residents in Tbilisi to stay inside Sunday. (AP Photo/Tinatin Kiguradze)
- A man tries to save a bird from a flooded zoo in Tbilisi, Georgia, Sunday, June 14, 2015. Tigers, lions, a hippopotamus and other animals have escaped from the zoo in Georgia’s capital after heavy flooding destroyed their enclosures, prompting authorities to warn residents in Tbilisi to say inside Sunday. At least eight people have been killed in the disaster, including three zoo workers, and 10 are missing. (AP Photo/Beso Gulashvili)
- A wounded swan is seen at a flooded zoo area in Tbilisi, Georgia, Sunday, June 14, 2015. Tigers, lions, a hippopotamus and other animals have escaped from the zoo in Georgia’s capital after heavy flooding destroyed their enclosures, prompting authorities to warn residents in Tbilisi to say inside Sunday. At least eight people have been killed in the disaster, including three zoo workers, and 10 are missing. (AP Photo/Beso Gulashvili)
- People follow a hippopotamus that has been shot with a tranquilizer dart after it escaped from a flooded zoo in Tbilisi, Georgia, Sunday, June 14, 2015. Tigers, lions, a hippopotamus and other animals have escaped from the zoo in Georgia’s capital after heavy flooding destroyed their enclosures, prompting authorities to warn residents in Tbilisi to say inside Sunday. At least eight people have been killed in the disaster, including three zoo workers, and 10 are missing. (AP Photo/Beso Gulashvili)
- An animal escaped from a flooded zoo stands in mud inside the zoo in Tbilisi, Georgia, Sunday, June 14, 2015. Severe flooding in the Georgian capital left at least 12 people dead Sunday and triggered a big-game hunt across the city for lions, tigers, a hippopotamus and other dangerous animals that escaped from Tbilisi’s ravaged zoo. (AP Photo/Tinatin Kiguradze)
- A bear tries to save itself from a flooded zoo area in Tbilisi, Georgia, Sunday, June 14, 2015. Tigers, lions, a hippopotamus and other animals have escaped from the zoo in Georgia’s capital after heavy flooding destroyed their enclosures, prompting authorities to warn residents in Tbilisi to say inside Sunday. At least eight people have been killed in the disaster, including three zoo workers, and 10 are missing. (AP Photo/Beso Gulashvili)
- Georgian rescuers observe an area flooded by the overflowing of the Vere river due to heavy rainfall in Georgian capital Tbilisi on June 14, 2015. (Irakli Gedenidze/Getty Images)
- Men walk among damaged cars and other debris at a flooded area in Tbilisi on June 14, 2015. Lions, tigers, bears and other wild animals escaped from a zoo in the Georgian capital Tbilisi on June 14, adding to chaos caused by flooding that killed at least eight people, officials said. (Nika Gotsiridze/Getty Images)
- People walk around a damaged area near a flooded zoo in Tbilisi, Georgia, Sunday, June 14, 2015. Tigers, lions, a hippopotamus and other animals have escaped from the zoo in Georgia’s capital after heavy flooding destroyed their enclosures, prompting authorities to warn residents in Tbilisi to say inside Sunday. (AP Photo/Shakh Aivazov)
- People clean a flooded area in Tbilisi, Georgia, Sunday, June 14, 2015. Severe flooding in the Georgian capital left at least 12 people dead Sunday and triggered a big-game hunt across the city for lions, tigers, a hippopotamus and other dangerous animals that escaped from Tbilisi’s ravaged zoo. (AP Photo/Tinatin Kiguradze)
- Cars are seen among debris in a flooded area in Tbilisi on June 14, 2015. Heavy rainfall caused the overflooding of the Vere river in the Georgian capital. (Irakli Gedenidze/Getty Images)
- Two zebras escaped from a flooded zoo stand on a hill inside the zoo in Tbilisi, Georgia, Sunday, June 14, 2015. Severe flooding in the Georgian capital left at least 12 people dead Sunday and triggered a big-game hunt across the city for lions, tigers, a hippopotamus and other dangerous animals that escaped from Tbilisi’s ravaged zoo. (AP Photo/Tinatin Kiguradze)
- Cars are seen in the mud near a flooded zoo in Tbilisi, Georgia, Sunday, June 14, 2015. Tigers, lions, a hippopotamus and other animals have escaped from the zoo in Georgia’s capital after heavy flooding destroyed their enclosures, prompting authorities to warn residents in Tbilisi to say inside. At least eight people have been killed in the disaster, including three zoo workers, and 10 are missing. (AP Photo/Beso Gulashvili)
- The body of a bear lies at a flooded zoo area in Tbilisi, Georgia, Sunday, June 14, 2015. Tigers, lions, a hippopotamus and other animals have escaped from the zoo in Georgia’s capital after heavy flooding destroyed their enclosures, prompting authorities to warn residents in Tbilisi to say inside Sunday. (AP Photo/Shakh Aivazov)
- People walk around a damaged area near a flooded zoo in Tbilisi, Georgia, Sunday, June 14, 2015. Tigers, lions, a hippopotamus and other animals have escaped from the zoo in Georgia’s capital after heavy flooding destroyed their enclosures, prompting authorities to warn residents in Tbilisi to say inside Sunday. (AP Photo/Shakh Aivazov)
- A general view taken on June 14, 2015 shows an area flooded by the overflowing of the Vere river due to heavy rainfall in the Georgian capital Tbilisi. (Irakli Gedenidze/Getty Images)
- Georgian rescuers help to evacuate an eldery man in a flooded area in Tbilisi early on June 14, 2015. Heavy rainfall caused the overflooding of the Vere river in the Georgian capital. (Irakli Gedenidze/Getty Images)
- A general view taken on June 14, 2015 shows an area flooded by the overflowing of the Vere river due to heavy rainfall in Georgian capital Tbilisi. (Irakli Gedenidze/Getty Images)
- People walk around a damaged area near a flooded zoo in Tbilisi, Georgia, Sunday, June 14, 2015. Tigers, lions, a hippopotamus and other animals have escaped from the zoo in Georgia’s capital after heavy flooding destroyed their enclosures, prompting authorities to warn residents in Tbilisi to say inside Sunday. (AP Photo/Shakh Aivazov)
- A hippopotamus walks across a flooded street in Tbilisi on June 14, 2015. Tigers, lions, jaguars, bears and wolves escaped on June 14 from flooded zoo enclosures in the Georgian capital Tbilisi, the mayor’s office said. Some of the animals were captured by police while others were shot dead, the mayor’s office told local Rustavi 2 television. At least eight people have drowned and several others are missing in the Georgian capital Tbilisi in serious flooding. (Beso Gulashvili/Getty Images)
- Local residents push a hippopotamus along a flooded street in Tbilisi. Tigers, lions, jaguars, bears and wolves escaped on June 14 from flooded zoo enclosures in the Georgian capital Tbilisi, the mayor’s office said. Some of the animals were captured by police while others were shot dead, the mayor’s office told local Rustavi 2 television. At least eight people have drowned and several others are missing in the Georgian capital Tbilisi in serious flooding. (Beso Gulashvili/Getty Images)
- People help a hippopotamus escape from a flooded zoo in Tbilisi, Georgia, Sunday, June 14, 2015. Tigers, lions, a hippopotamus and other animals have escaped from the zoo in Georgia’s capital after heavy flooding destroyed their enclosures, prompting authorities to warn residents in Tbilisi to stay inside Sunday. At least eight people have been killed in the disaster, including three zoo workers, and 10 are missing. (AP Photo/Tinatin Kiguradze)
- A hippopotamus that has been shot with a tranquilizer dart after it escaped from a flooded zoo lies behind bars inside the zoo in Tbilisi, Georgia, Sunday, June 14, 2015. Tigers, lions, a hippopotamus and other animals have escaped from the zoo in Georgia’s capital after heavy flooding destroyed their enclosures, prompting authorities to warn residents in Tbilisi to say inside Sunday. (AP Photo/Tinatin Kiguradze)
- A rhinoceros escaped from a flooded zoo walks inside the zoo in Tbilisi, Georgia, Sunday, June 14, 2015. Severe flooding in the Georgian capital left at least 12 people dead Sunday and triggered a big-game hunt across the city for lions, tigers, a hippopotamus and other dangerous animals that escaped from Tbilisi’s ravaged zoo. (AP Photo/Tinatin Kiguradze)
- Two zebras escaped from a flooded zoo stand on a hill inside the zoo in Tbilisi, Georgia, Sunday, June 14, 2015. Severe flooding in the Georgian capital left at least 12 people dead Sunday and triggered a big-game hunt across the city for lions, tigers, a hippopotamus and other dangerous animals that escaped from Tbilisi’s ravaged zoo. (AP Photo/Tinatin Kiguradze)
- A zebra and other animals escaped from a flooded zoo stand on a hill inside the zoo in Tbilisi, Georgia, Sunday, June 14, 2015. Severe flooding in the Georgian capital left at least 12 people dead Sunday and triggered a big-game hunt across the city for lions, tigers, a hippopotamus and other dangerous animals that escaped from Tbilisi’s ravaged zoo. (AP Photo/Tinatin Kiguradze)
- Municipal workers try to pull a body of an ostrich out at a flooded zoo in Tbilisi, Georgia, Sunday, June 14, 2015. Severe flooding in the Georgian capital left at least 12 people dead Sunday and triggered a big-game hunt across the city for lions, tigers, a hippopotamus and other dangerous animals that escaped from Tbilisi’s ravaged zoo. (AP Photo/Tinatin Kiguradze)
- An elephant escaped from a flooded zoo stands behind bars inside the zoo in Tbilisi, Georgia, Sunday, June 14, 2015. Severe flooding in the Georgian capital left at least 12 people dead Sunday and triggered a big-game hunt across the city for lions, tigers, a hippopotamus and other dangerous animals that escaped from Tbilisi’s ravaged zoo. (AP Photo/Tinatin Kiguradze)