The Zoo experienced a modest revival in the late 2000s . A marine aquarium , the first such establishment in the Caucasus , was opened in 2007 . The Zoo belongs to the Tbilisi City Hall and largely depends on funding allocated from the city budget . In 2012 , the government of Tbilisi decided to relocate the zoo from the city 's centre to a zoological and recreation complex adjacent to the Tbilisi Sea , a large reservoir at the eastern outskirts of Tbilisi . A project developed by the Australia-based architecture firm Hassell was to include " an entrance hub , boulevard , a secondary hub with playground and café , inner zoo and an outer open range zoo as well as woodland areas . " Due to the lack of funds , the relocation was delayed and the zoo remained at its old location , when , on 14 June 2015 , the swollen Vere river flooded the zoo . Several of its inhabitants died , while many surviving animals , such as a hippopotamus , lions , tigers , bears , and wolves , escaped to the streets of Tbilisi . Some animals were recaptured but several were shot by emergency forces . In total , the zoo lost nearly half of its inhabitants
flooded the zoo
2015 Tbilisi flood
Tbilisi Zoo