Escaped big cats recaptured in Germany

Two lions, two tigers and a jaguar that escaped their enclosures at a zoo in western Germany have been recaptured. The animals were found inside the zoo compound in Lünebach after a search involving a drone, officials told German media. Local residents had earlier been told to stay indoors. A bear also escaped from the privately owned Eifel zoo, but was shot dead, a local official told AFP. The animals broke out after flooding from a storm damaged their enclosures. A massive search was then launched involving police, firefighters and veterinarians. Local authorities did not give further details of the recapture but a spokesperson told AFP news agency that the animals were “in their cages”. Owned by the Wallpott family, the 30-hectare (74-acre) zoo is home to nearly 400 animals of 60 species, including Siberian tigers and lions. It was first established in 1965 with only dogs, donkeys and a wild boar, according to the zoo’s website, and is visited by 70,000 people a year. Friday’s escape comes two years after two lions broke out of their cages at a zoo in Leipzig in eastern Germany. One was shot dead and the other recaptured. Source: BBC