Georgian Orthodox Church leaders are blaming the massive flood in Georgia, which took the lives of at least 12 people, on former Communist rulers. The head of the group claimed that the incident, which set animals on the loose, was God's punishment for destroying churches in order to gain funds for the zoo.
Wild animals from the city zoo in Georgia remain on the loose following the devastating floods, which took the lives of at least 12 people. Images of escaped animals emerged on the Internet, including a hippopotamus that was roaming the streets of Tblisi, The Guardian reported.
"The damage is substantial," said Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili.
The devastating floods damaged several properties, including the zoo, which left three of its staff members as casualties. One of them was 56-year-old zookeeper, Guliko Chitadze, who reportedly lost her arm a month prior to the incident after being attacked by one of the tigers. Chitadze and her husband, who both lived in the zoo, died following the massive flooding incident in Georgia.
Some of the animals have already been captured, others remain on the loose while some were, unfortunately, shot to death. Six wolves who have escaped from the city's zoo were killed after they were spotted lurking near the children's hospital, Daily Mail reported.
"Search for animals continues, but a large part of the zoo is simply non-existence. It was turned into a hellish whirlpool," said Mzia Sharashidze, the spokesperson for the Tbilisi Zoo.
Meanwhile, Georgian Orthodox Church leaders are calling on the recent tragedy as a punishment from God for melting down churches to build the zoo.
"When Communists came to us in this country, they ordered that all crosses and bells of the churches be melted down and the money used to build the zoo," said Patriarch Ilia II, head of the Orthodox Church in Georgia.
Patriarch Ilia II expressed his sentiments towards victims of the recent flooding incident in Georgia, saying that many lives were distraught "at the expense of destroyed churches."
