Investigation starts into deadly tiger attack in central Tbilisi

A criminal case has been filed for negligence following today’s deadly tiger attack in central Tbilisi.

A white Bengal tiger escaped from Tbilisi Zoo after Sunday’s severe flooding mauled a man to death this afternoon. Government and Zoo officials earlier believed all animals missing in the flood had been accounted for.

Before Sunday’s flood Tbilisi Zoo had three white tigers. After the disaster hit the capital of Georgia, the body of one of the tigers was found on Zoo territory. It had drowned in the flood. The second tiger was killed today after it attacked a man in central Tbilisi and the third one was still missing.

Georgia’s Chief Prosecutor Giorgi Badashvili said an investigation had been launched to find out if anyone had acted negligently regarding the spread of incorrect information at a special meeting with the country’s Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili shortly after the tragic incident today.

Garibashvili said he also believed an investigation needed to be launched to find out the truth and answer all existing questions.

The PM said what happened today was "outrageous” and a "terrible fact” and he felt "very saddened” about the man’s death.

He went on to explain that inaccurate information about the safety of Tbilisi streets spread rapidly throughout the community.

"Two days ago I repeated the information that was given in a report prepared by the Governmental Emergency Headquarters. The Emergency Headquarters, on the other hand, relied on the Tbilisi Zoo Administration information, who said there were no more wild animals in the city and there was no more danger for our citizens,” Garibashvili said.

He added he wanted to apologise to society for spreading false information "even though this information was provided by the Zoo Administration and its director”.

The PM noted: "The Government should make sure how many animals are dead and how many of them are found alive regardless what the Zoo director says”.

He also instructed the Emergency Headquarters to warn people that a small danger still remained and not to spread any information unless all animals were accounted for.

At the meeting where these statements were made Garibashvili asked for an explanation from the chief of the Emergency Headquarters Mindia Janelidze about how this incorrect information had been inserted into the report.

To this Janelidze said this information was received on June 15 however the Headquarters did not spread this note immediately and it was first checked with the Zoo Administration and the Interior Ministry who was in charge of locating the animals.

"Only after this we spread this information,” Janelidze said.

On the other hand, Interior Minister Vakhtang Gomelauri said despite receiving information from the Zoo Administration that all animals had been accounted for, the Ministry continued its searching activities.

After the meeting Zoo director Zurab Gurielidze was summoned and questioned as a witness at the Chief Prosecutor’s Office.

The Office said representatives of the Emergency Headquarters, Interior Ministry and all other agencies in charge of the situation would also be questioned until the truth was uncovered.

When leaving the Prosecutor’s Office after a two-hour questioning, Zoo director Gurielidze said he was asked general questions, like how the Zoo counted the surviving, missing and dead animals and how the mistake about a missing tiger was made.

Earlier Gurielidze said: "Unfortunately, the tiger that we believed was dead following the flooding turned out to be alive… I understand that the state agencies spread the information that the streets were safe after I provided them with this information.”

Meanwhile in parallel of Gurielidze’s questioning, people gathered in front of the Government Administration building in support of the zoo director. Protesters believed Gurielidze was not the person responsible for what happened.