Suspected Lion on the Loose Near Berlin Forces German Police to Ask Residents to Stay Indoors

Kimberlee Speakman
·2 min read
2

Police say a resident spotted the animal roaming around a town in Kleinmachnow, a city in the southwestern outskirts of Berlin, late Wednesday night

<p>STRINGER/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock</p>

STRINGER/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock

A warning has been issued for residents in a town near Berlin to stay indoors and take precautions as police searched for a wild animal on the loose, believed to be a lioness.

German authorities said they received an emergency call around midnight Wednesday night from a resident who spotted a wild animal roaming around Richard-Strauss-Weg in Kleinmachnow, a city in the southwestern outskirts of Berlin.

The resident took a video of the animal, which police deemed to be credible and after an initial assessment, and determined it to be a lioness, according to a press release.

Following the report, the Brandenburg Police Department issued a warning overnight on Twitter as well as on apps and over loudspeakers, in the area asking residents to avoid leaving their homes and bring their pets indoors due to the escaped wild animal.

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In the meantime, Brandenburg police, in coordination with Berlin police, worked to attempt to locate the animal throughout the night, per the release.

<p>STRINGER/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock</p>

STRINGER/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock

Thirty patrol cars from the Brandenburg Police Department were sent out into the area, along with helicopters from Berlin. Veterinarians and hunters were also on hand to provide their expertise during the police investigation.

As of Thursday, the search was still ongoing. Police narrowed the search area down to Teltow, Kleinmachnow and the Stahnsdorf areas, the latter of which is just south of Kleinmachnow and has forests and vast rural lands.

<p>Sven Kaeuler/TNN/dpa via AP</p> Police patrol during a search for a suspected escaped lioness near Kleinmachnow, Germany

Sven Kaeuler/TNN/dpa via AP

Police patrol during a search for a suspected escaped lioness near Kleinmachnow, Germany

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Authorities ask that residents who live in those two areas act with caution and avoid adjacent forest areas. They ask anyone who spots the animal to immediately seek shelter and inform police.

Investigators are also working to figure out where the lioness may have come from, as the big cats are native to Africa. Brandenburg police say they have reached out to animal-testing facilities, animal parks, zoos, animal-protection facilities and circuses in the Kleinmachnow area, which have all said they're not missing an animal.

The Brandenburg Police Department say that a large number of its police force and forces from the West Police Department will remain on site in Teltow and Stahnsdorf. Riot police have also been deployed to protect the local population.

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