Big cats escape German zoo!

BERLIN: Five dangerous big cats -- two lions, two tigers and a jaguar -- escaped their enclosures in a flooded German zoo on Friday for several hours but were later reported back "in their cages".

Local residents near the zoo close to the Luxembourg border were warned to stay indoors while the predators were on the loose. A bear, which also broke out of its enclosure at the Eifel Zoo in Luenebach, was shot dead, a spokesman for local authorities said.

Officials were verifying if the fences and cages are secure, said the spokesman. Overnight heavy thunderstorms had sparked flash floods in the area and completely flooded the private zoo, which is located on a riverbank.

The high waters had damaged the cages, allowing the animals to go on the run. Local newspaper Trier Volksfreund said the cats were still within the sprawling 30-hectare grounds of the zoo when they were finally located by a drone.

While emergency services including firefighters and police were deployed to hunt down the predators, inhabitants of the town were told to stay indoors and to keep their windows and doors closed.