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Lost Hippo Found as Floods Recede
PRAGUE (Reuters) - A hippopotamus lost for days during record flooding in Prague has turned up unharmed but bad-tempered after his ordeal, city zoo officials said on Sunday.
Slavek, an 18-year-old male hippo, was carried up out of his enclosure by the flood waters and staff eventually found him on the second floor of a pavilion used to house elephants, a zoo spokeswoman said.
While elated at the discovery, staff said they had to be careful when approaching the animal.
'Understandably, he's quite hungry, and therefore quite angry. He was in attack mode,' said zoo head Petr Fejk. Zoo officials have been sharply criticized for their handling of the floods, which killed dozens of animals, and many asked how creatures weighing more than a ton could disappear.
The zoo lies on the banks of the River Vltava in the north end of Prague. Wednesday, river levels reached some of their highest in Prague's 800-year history.
With water levels receding, zookeepers put out a trail of food to lure the hippo back down to ground level.
'He's eating, so I think he will be just fine,' Fejk said.
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