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A flood releases zoo animals to rampage through a city.

6/15/2015

8 Comments

 
Heavy rain caused the River Vere, normally little more than a stream, to burst its banks, flooding the area around the Georgian capital, Tbilisi. At least 12 bodies of people have been discovered. Thousands of people have been left without water and electricity while others have had to be airlifted to safety.

But what happens to the animals who are confined within a zoo during horrific conditions like this?
PictureSouthwick's Zoo sign.
If people can't get away in time, then the poor animals are left to fend for themselves.

Floodwater rose to the rooftops of enclosures at the zoo, drowning hundreds of caged wildlife from around the world and releasing an unknown number of animals. Many of them were swept out of their enclosures and escaped. Officials have warned people to stay indoors to avoid the missing tigers, lions, bears and wolves. 

Three lifeless people, two of them employees, were found within the zoo grounds, now become a hellish whirlpool.

A hippopotamus was cornered in one of the city's main squares and subdued with a tranquilizer gun, and helicopters are circling the city as part of a search and rescue operation. A bear was found clinging to an air-conditioning unit half way up one building, while a man discovered a hyena on his balcony. Wolves, lions, tigers, jackals and jaguars have been disposed of by special forces. Source: BBC News.

PictureBronx Zoo entrance.
Surely mankind, with all it's intelligence and technology, could have a plan ready every eventuality. Why place animals in an at-risk area? Just as I don't think circuses should use poor animals to entertain people nowadays, I propose that we don't need to keep live animals caged in a zoo. Fifty years ago, getting a glimpse of an animal from another country formed part of our education. Now, we can see any animal we choose on the World Wide Web.


Uggg! What if tables turned and people were the ones behind bars? Reminds me of Planet of the Apes.

And, of course, I should mention my co-written futuristic post-apocalyptic fantasy Higher Ground series of novels, set after the Great Flood.

Five remarkable people—clever Aron, strong Boris, wise Cerridwen, attuned Trevly, and temptress Sasha—get caught up in a search for the legendary Egyptian jewelery.
Only memories, broken articles, and derelict buildings speak of a past civilization, among them a mural in Saint Eyes, buried under a sand dune, points the way to a better future.


Click here to see the Higher Ground series
PictureLowry Park Zoo
BBC's television program Birdwatch has captured people's attention for years. 

Cameras, set up in various UK locations, film birds going about their normal activities. 

What if every country in the world did the same and filmed animals in their natural surroundings? I think their effort would be very popular and earn them good revenue at the same time.

What is your opinion of restricting animals in zoo enclosures?



8 Comments
Salma link
6/14/2015 11:31:01 pm

That is so terrible! And I agree with you on circuses as well!

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Kimberly link
6/15/2015 12:42:56 am

You always have such interesting posts! I'm not a fan of zoos, animals belong in their natural habitat. What happened in Georgia is a sad reminder that Mother Nature is in charge, not us.
Kimberly
http://FiftyJewels.com

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Tina link
6/15/2015 03:23:05 am

It's like Madagascar - the movie being played out in real. You have Alex, Gloria a pack of wolves out on the prowl on the streets, i read some penguins were also there. But jokes apart it's a sad state that the animals need to face a zoo first and are now being gunned down when they are in the open.

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Mary Hill link
6/15/2015 03:39:51 am

So sad that we don't take care of the animals in our care better. Really interesting post. ;)

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Mary Hill link
6/15/2015 03:42:00 am

Also did the zoo official not know of the weather forecast and prepare. I think they should have acted beforehand to protect the animals. I agree we there should be laws governing the safety of animal enclosures.

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Nick #thisyearinmusic link
6/15/2015 05:14:28 am

This is a horribly tragic story. If it was a freak flood then the animal management staff has no chance to save the animals, but if they knew that it was coming then they should have done something to prevent it.

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Nicole link
6/15/2015 07:24:38 am

This is a tragic story. I'm not against all zoos (sometimes animals survive longer in zoos than they would in the wild), but clearly there are zoos where the well being of the animals is not put first.

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Alana link
6/15/2015 08:41:55 am

I grew up about 3 miles from the Bronx Zoo. I think there is a role for zoos in the preservation of endangered species - if they know what they are doing, that is. I have to tell you, too, that when my small city was flooded in 2011, a local pet store did not evacuate its "stock" and over 100 animals held for sale drowned. It made national United States news. So it just isn't zoos.

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    Francene Stanley
    From England, I use news items in my novels which you can see below, all linked to an Amazon near you.

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