Flash flooding in the Georgian capital had destroyed the animal's enclosures at Tbilisi zoo and turned it into a 'hellish whirlpool', leaving them free to roam the streets in scenes reminiscent of a Hollywood disaster movie. 

Today, the clean-up operation began to clear the carcasses of bears, tigers and wolves that all lay in a heap in the murky sludge of the capital city's streets.

But there was some welcome news as the hippopotamus that was cornered and subdued with a tranquilliser gun was returned to the zoo in good health. 

Thirteen people have already died in the flash floods, including three workers who were employed at Tbilisi Zoo. 

One of them was Guliko Chitadze, a zookeeper who lost an arm in an attack by a tiger last month. The husband of zookeeper Ms Chitadze also died in the flooding. 

Clean up crews today discovered the body of an elderly man in his home, the Interior Ministry confirmed. 

Residents have been warned to stay indoors and particularly away from the area next to the zoo as a number of wild beasts are still unaccounted for, with fears they could be wandering the hills of the Georgian capital. 

The zoo was still trying to determine what had happened to four lions, three tigers and one jaguar that escaped. 

Helicopters continued to circle the city hunting for big game to track down the hungry and dangerous animals.  

Residents in the Georgian capital - home to around 1.1million people - fear they might attack as they become more desperate in their search for food.

Khariton Gabashvili said: 'The daytime wasn't bad. But everyone has to be very careful at night because all the beasts haven't been captured.

'They haven't been fed and in their hungry state they might attack people.' 

Davit Narmania, the mayor of Tbilisi, called the situation 'very grave'. 

The flooding also killed about 60 of 300 homeless dogs at a private shelter near the zoo, shelter staff said. Volunteers were working at the shelter on Monday to care for the remaining dogs and repair the kennels. 

Police with rifles were still searching the hills off Tbilisi above the zoo looking for the escaped animals as the remains of a hyena shot dead lay in the nearby grounds of Tbilisi State University. It had chased one of the staff, according to a police officer, who then locked himself in a shed and called for help.

There were also reports of people using their hunting rifles to shoot animals they see and the zoo has urged authorities and members of the public to spare the animals instead of shooting them.  

Tbilisi Zoo director Zurab Gurielidze said: 'In the case of a predator attacking a man, its liquidation is understandable. But many cases have to be explained. 

(dailymail.co.uk)