Send for an ark! Zoo animals on the loose

London - It looks like a scene from a Hollywood disaster film. Wild beasts roaming through a city’s streets, amid a backdrop of destruction.

But this was Tbilisi on Sunday after flash floods destroyed the Georgian capital’s zoo – setting more than 30 wild animals free.

Officials were forced to put the area on lockdown after lions, tigers, jaguars, wolves, bears and even a hippo strolled around the streets. Terrified residents cowered in their homes as special forces marksmen hunted the beasts, shooting several on sight and subduing others with tranquiliser guns.

Helicopters also buzzed overhead scouring the flooded streets for the eight lions, numerous tigers, seven bears, 20 wolves and hyenas which were known to be among the animals on the loose.

Startling pictures showed the escaped hippo nonchalantly wandering past shops before finally being cornered by rescuers. A bear was also pictured perched on an air-conditioning unit on the side of a building. At least 12 people died in the disaster, including three at the zoo, although it was unclear if they had been attacked by the animals.

Chaos struck after torrential rain on Saturday transformed a small stream that runs through Tbilisi into a surging river. Fallen trees also hampered the hunt for the animals.

Daily Mail

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