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/2018/jun/01/lions-pumas-break-out-zoo-western-germany-lunebach

The article has changed 5 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.

Version 1 Version 2
Lions and tigers break out of zoo cages in western Germany Escaped lions and tigers back in cages at zoo in Germany
(about 3 hours later)
German police are advising residents in the western town of Lünebach to stay inside their homes after two lions, two tigers, a jaguar and a bear broke out of their cages in a local zoo. Five big cats – two lions, two tigers and a jaguar – escaped their enclosures in a flooded German zoo for several hours of Friday but were later reportedly back in their cages.
Police killed the bear and said all the escaped animals were believed to still be on the grounds of the zoo, near the border with Luxembourg and Belgium, but residents should stay inside until they could be sure. Local residents near the zoo close to the Luxembourg border were told to stay indoors while the predators were on the loose.
Local broadcaster SWR had initially reported that lions and pumas had broken out of the zoo, but police were able to determine that the missing animals were two lions, two tigers and a jaguar, the dpa news agency reported. A bear, which also broke out of its enclosure at the Eifel zoo in Lünebach, was shot dead, a spokesman for local authorities said. Officials were verifying if the fences and cages were secure, said the spokesman.
The zoo did not answer calls and police did not have any further details about the developing situation. Overnight heavy thunderstorms had sparked flash floods in the area and completely flooded the private zoo, which is located on a riverbank. The high waters had damaged the cages, allowing the animals to go on the run.
It was not clear how and when the animals escaped. Local newspaper Trier Volksfreund said the big cats were still within the 30-hectare (74-acre) grounds of the zoo when they were finally located by a drone.
Emergency services including firefighters and police were deployed to hunt down the predators, while inhabitants of the town were told to stay indoors and to keep their windows and doors closed.
On Friday many residents were busy clearing muddy water from their cellars and removing trees downed by the severe storm. Part of a local motorway had also been blocked off due to high waters.
The zoo is home to about 400 animals, also including a Siberian tiger, and is owned by the Wallpott family.
Friday’s escape came two years after a similar case in eastern Germany, when two lions broke out of their cages at the Leipzig zoo. One of the lions was shot dead while the other was eventually brought back into captivity.
In 2015, an orangutan was shot dead after escaping from the Duisburg zoo, and a bear that had escaped from Osnabrück was killed in 2017.
GermanyGermany
ZoosZoos
Animal welfareAnimal welfare
EuropeEurope
AnimalsAnimals
newsnews
Share on FacebookShare on Facebook
Share on TwitterShare on Twitter
Share via EmailShare via Email
Share on LinkedInShare on LinkedIn
Share on PinterestShare on Pinterest
Share on Google+Share on Google+
Share on WhatsAppShare on WhatsApp
Share on MessengerShare on Messenger
Reuse this contentReuse this content