Berlin: ‘lioness’ on the loose in German capital city - animal’s identity revealed as police call off search

A wild animal - which many believed to be a lioness - was yesterday reported to be on the loose on the outskirts of Berlin.

Early on Thursday (20 July), German authorities warned residents to stay inside and hide their pets following reports of an “escaped wild animal”. Police used loudspeakers to inform people in the areas of Kleinmachnow, Teltow, and Stahnsdorf - which border the capital city - and the alert was later extended to the southern parts of Berlin via an official emergency app.

Members of the public had first raised the alarm after seeing the animal chasing a wild boar. “Experienced” police officers inspected video footage of the incident and said they thought it was likely a lioness, prompting the launch of a huge search operation which involved a vet, two hunters, and helicopters with thermal cameras.

However, on Friday (21 July), the search was called off after officers scouring Berlin and its outskirts said they now believe the animal was actually a wild boar. The mayor of Kleinmachnow, Michael Grubert, has since admitted he was “sceptical from the beginning” that a lion was on the loose.

In a statement, he said police had not “found a single indication of any lion or wild animal, other than wild boar” - and stressed there is “no acute danger”.

When the search was launched, nearby zoos, animal shelters, and circuses all confirmed that they were not missing a lioness - and authorities had no information about one being privately owned in the area, so there was always confusion about where the animal could have come from.

Speaking to the press, Mr Grubert stopped short of revealing how much had been spent on this investigation - but insisted he had no regrets and would do it again if necessary, commenting: “The danger of a wild animal in Kleinmachnow justifies the deployment.”

Unfortunately for the police, not everyone took the search so seriously. There were reports of some young people playing a loud recording of lion roars using a technological device in the middle of the night.

Speaking to local public broadcasters on Thursday (20 July), police spokesperson Daniel Keip said: “Around midnight, witnesses saw a predator tearing down a wild boar. We also have video material of it. It is a lioness. There is currently no reason for us to doubt its authenticity.”

Brandenburg Police also made social media statements, first writing on Twitter at 2:15am: “Please avoid leaving the house due to an escaped wild animal in the Kleinmachnow, Teltow, & Stahnsdorf area, and also bring your pets into the house. Our colleagues are on site and checking the situation.”

They later sent an update at 6:23am which said: “The escaped wild animal has NOT been found yet! We still ask you not to leave the house. If you see the animal, please call the emergency number 110!”

Despite the alerts, life appeared to generally continue as normal in the town of Kleinmachnow - with people walking dogs and cycling, according to German news agency dpa. As of Friday (21 July), all ‘stay inside’ orders have been called off - and residents have been told to go about their days as normal.