UPDATE: German zoo recaptures several big cats that escaped during flooding

German authorities have recaptured two lions, two tigers and a jaguar that escaped from Eifel Zoo in Lünebach, using drones to track down the dangerous predators.

Local residents were put on high alert by German police, after the felines escaped when heavy flooding destroyed their enclosures. They were tracked down using drones to safely locate them and put them "back in their cages", according to local authorities, using tranquillisers to avoid loss of life. A runaway bear also escaped but had to be shot dead.

Footage from a local resident shows the extent of flooding to the area.

In lünebach haben wir heute wunderbares Grill Wetter! Dazu sind auch noch Wildtiere aus dem Zoo ausgebrochen... Der Tag ist super! pic.twitter.com/7OI08Kd5NN

— Fliesen_Tisch (@Fliesen__Tisch) June 1, 2018