- Police search for presumed lioness in Berlin suburbs
- Intensive search effort with police vehicles, veterinarians, and equipment
- Authorities urge residents to remain indoors and cautious, while search continues
In the southwestern suburbs of Berlin, police are searching for an animal they presume to be a lioness.
A police spokeswoman said they received calls and a video about the wild animal at midnight Wednesday and began searching.
At least 30 police vehicles and veterinarians were dispatched to assist in the search for the large cat.
Residents were instructed to remain indoors until it was located.
Thursday evening, police informed a resident that they had “just seen” the lioness and that the search for the animal had entered a “hot phase,” according to Bild, which also reported that officers yelled at joggers to “quickly exit the woods.”
After dusk on Thursday, however, the animal remained evasive despite police efforts using night vision and thermal imaging equipment.
While the number of officers has been diminished, Beate Ostertag of the Berlin police told public broadcaster RBB that the force will “continue to operate until the animal is located.”
Mayor of Kleinmachnow Michael Grubert previously stated that authorities were unable to confirm the initial animal sighting reports.
The authorities believe a Twitter video showed a lioness in a highly wooded Kleinmachnow neighbourhood.
However, the origin of the mammal is unknown. No lions have escaped from local zoos, animal sanctuaries, or circuses, they reported.
Daniel Keip, a police spokesman, told RBB: “During the summer, there are often reports of crocodiles in recreational lakes, but it turns out that it was just a large duck. In this instance, it is completely genuine. We’re dealing with a lioness that is loose in Teltow, Stahnsdorf, and Kleinmachnow.”
Michel Rogall, a Teltow-based circus director who was awakened by police at 02:00 local time, is skeptical.
“If it’s a lion, I’ll eat my hat,” he told the newspaper Tagesspiegel. In addition, he told Reuters that there was no roadside circus with untamed animals in eastern Germany, “and if there was, they wouldn’t escape either.”
Residents have been instructed to remain indoors with their pets. The police have also instructed individuals to avoid the forest and seek shelter immediately if they encounter the lioness.
Mr. Grubert stated that authorities were searching a large area adjacent to a forest where people exercise their dogs. Authorities believe the lioness may be resting in that location.
He added, “There is no panic or hysteria, but we urge people not to run or ride bicycles in the woods.”
“Our hunters… are also equipped with ammunition,” he stated. “The primary goal is to capture. Police officers will only take additional action if their lives or the lives of others are in peril.”
Mr. Grubert stated that to locate the elusive mammal, helicopters, drones, and heat-seeking cameras have been deployed.
Veterinarians and hunters armed with tranquilizer rifles are also assisting in the search, while local media reported that police were employing an armored vehicle typically used for anti-terrorism operations.
Florian Eiserlo of Four Paws told the Rheinische Post that the animal should not be feared.
“Remain still, remain calm, and seek refuge in a vehicle or a building,” they advised.
Berlin’s local press advises against panicking and slowly backing away from lionesses.
If the animal was a lioness, according to Vanessa Amoroso, director of the wild animals in trade unit at Four Paws, it was likely kept as a pet.
She stated that inconsistencies in European law made the trafficking of big cats much simpler, as they are permitted as pets in many nations.
Ms. Amoroso urged the German government to regulate those involved in the trade and ownership of exotic animals.
She added, “Germany’s position as one of the world’s largest markets for wild animals as pets necessitates effective measures to combat the ease with which potential buyers can acquire animals via online platforms and exchanges.”
