No laughing matter: Hyena and tiger still missing after Tbilisi Zoo flooded

A tiger and a hyena are still missing from a zoo in Georgia which was badly hit by flooding, it has been admitted. Officials said on Tuesday that all the animals at Tbilisi zoo were accounted for after enclosures were damaged at the weekend. But a man was mauled to death by a different tiger which had broken loose before being shot dead by police on Wednesday. Zoo spokeswoman Khatia Basilashvili said it was not known whether the missing animals were alive or dead but they had yet to be located.

It does not mean that that these animals are on the loose, but the cleaning operations are still going on, especially in the area where those animals were kept.

Zoo spokeswoman Khatia Basilashvili

She said: “We are searching for one Ussuri tiger and one striped hyena. Cages are covered with water and mud. However, until these animals are found the threat remains. We have to know whether these animals drowned in the zoo’s territory or are out on the loose and pose a threat to the population.” Georgian Prime Minister Irkali Gharibashvili warned people to be vigiliant and to inform the authorities if they spot an animal.

Tbilisi zoo Europe