Scenes reminiscent of Noah’s ark emerged from Tbilisi at the weekend as heavy floods swept through the town and breached the walls of the Georgian capital’s zoo.

Pictures of animals dominated the front pages – a freshly tranquillised hippo wandering through the streets; a bear perching on top of an air conditioning unit – and the world was gripped by the drama.

A bear perches on the window of the second floor of a building in Tbilisi, 14 June 2015. Photograph: Beso Gulashvili/Georgian Prime Minister Service/Handout/EPA

By Wednesday an escaped tiger had killed one person and wounded another before being shot by the authorities.

Less talked about was the human cost of the disaster. The latest figures suggest 20 people died with several still unaccounted for, with significant damage to the city and an increasingly politicised situation on the ground.

Tblisi residents are angry about alleged government incompetence in the aftermath of the floods, and on Wednesday many took to the streets in solidarity with the city’s zoo keeper, who had been questioned by the police over the tiger attack. Social media is also full of derision for Georgian politicians.

Spontaneous rally in #Tbilisi protesting perceived gov ineptitude draws a hip, committed crowd #tbilisiflood pic.twitter.com/z4JCkujSxo — Hans Gutbrod (@HansGutbrod) June 17, 2015

Meanwhile, the hippo has become a symbol for protesters and for fundraising efforts alike.

Hippo: the new symbol of justice for young Georgians :) #tbilisiflood pic.twitter.com/X8cA1AmvlL — natalia antelava (@antelava) June 17, 2015

One of the campaigns adopting the mascot is the Tbilisi Hippo Fund, which will divide donations in half – sharing the money between the zoo and the people affected by flooding.

“We thought that the hippo would work as a unifier for people to get behind,” said Adrian Scoffham, the founder of the fund.

“As often happens with natural catastrophes, infrastructure is damaged and can be repaired” but the victims are forgotten, he added. They are also planning a benefit concert with Georgian-born singer Katie Melua in London.

Another campaign that has proved popular on the crowdfunding website Indiegogo is Help Tbilisi Recover from Flooding, which calls on “friends of Georgia” to lend their support.



Donations will be routed through a local NGO, and founder Maka Meshveliani has promised regular updates on spending. Around a third of the $34,720 (£21,835) donated so far has come from the US, with Georgia and the UK in second and third, she said on Facebook.

Wolves, bears, tigers, lions and a HIPPO set loose from zoo during fatal flood http://t.co/D2Tn9E2C6v pic.twitter.com/vZf37j9b5U — Daily Mirror (@DailyMirror) June 14, 2015

Despite some rather sensationalist tabloid reporting, Tbilisi residents rallied behind their zoo animals. Photographs of people helping the hippo to safety have been widely shared, revealing significant public sympathy for their plight.

I love this picture of #Tbilisi locals returning a hippo to the zoo. Great people - the reason why I love the city. pic.twitter.com/GtKWV6kSaG — Kathryn (@agitpro) June 14, 2015

And expect collective sighs of relief after a tweet from an account named @Tbilisihippo showing the world’s most famous Georgian animal, finally, at rest.