Police search for suspected lion roaming Berlin area

BBC 

Police are searching for an animal they believe is a lioness in the south-western outskirts of Berlin.

A police spokeswoman said they received calls and a video alerting them to the wild animal at about midnight on Wednesday, and immediately began their search.

At least 30 police cars were deployed, and veterinarians called to assist in the search for the big cat.

Residents are being told to stay indoors until it is found. Kleinmachnow Mayor Michael Grubert said authorities have not been able to verify the initial reports of the animal sighting, but it has since been seen by an officer involved in the search. 

A video shared on Twitter - which police believe is real - also appeared to show a lioness in a heavily forested residential area of Kleinmachnow.

However, it is unclear where the animal came from. Local zoos, animal sanctuaries and circuses said no lions have escaped from their facilities.

Police spokesperson Daniel Keip told public broadcaster RBB that "in the summer you often hear reports of crocodiles in swimming lakes and then it turns out all it was, was a big duck. In this case it's obviously totally real. We're dealing with a lioness that's roaming freely through Teltow, Stahnsdorf and Kleinmachnow."

But Michel Rogall, a circus director in Teltow who was woken by police at 02:00 local time, is not so sure.

"If it's a lion, I'll eat my hat," he told the Tagesspiegel newspaper. In addition, he told Reuters that there was no circus with wild animals on the road in eastern Germany, "and they wouldn't escape either [if there was]".

Residents have been advised to stay indoors and keep their pets with them. Police have also told people to avoid the forest and seek shelter immediately if they see the lioness.

Mr Grubert said authorities were focusing their search on a large area next to a wood where people walk their dogs. Authorities believe the lioness may be sleeping there.

He added that there was "no panic, no hysteria... but we do urge people not to go running or cycling in the woods".

"Our hunters... are also equipped with ammunition," he said. "The first objective is to capture. Other measures will only be taken by police officers if their lives or the lives of others are endangered."

Helicopters have been deployed to find the elusive animal as well as drones and heat-seeking cameras, Mr Grubert said.

Veterinarians and hunters with tranquiliser guns are also involved in the search, while local media reported that police were using an armoured vehicle normally deployed in anti-terrorism operations.

Florian Eiserlo of the Four Paws animal welfare organisation told the Rheinische Post newspaper that if anyone runs into the animal, they should not panic.

"Stand still, stay calm, try to head to a safe area such as a car or a building," they said.