OAN’s Shawntel Smith-Hill
12:51 PM – Thursday, July 20, 2023
A large, dangerous animal suspected to be a lioness is on the loose near the outskirts of the German capital. Police in Berlin have urged residents on the South-Western outskirts of Berlin to keep pets inside and to stay indoors after an overnight sighting of the large animal was reported.
German police say that the animal was reportedly seen in the town of Kleinmachnow, just outside the capital. A witness who captured a brief video of the animal alerted the police, prompting a massive outpouring of officials in the area.
Authorities have deployed helicopters, drones, thermal imaging cameras, veterinarians, and hunters to join in on the search for the missing animal.
“Around midnight, the message came in, which we all could not imagine. Two men saw an animal running after another,” Police Spokesman Daniel Kiep told the German press. “One was a wild boar, and the other was apparently a wild cat, a lioness. The two men also recorded a video, and even experienced police officers confirmed that it is probably a lioness”.
Kleinmachow Mayor Michael Grubert confirmed at a later news conference that the animal was “still on the run and has not been found yet.”
Authorities are currently unsure of the origins of the suspected lioness, as “Neither zoos nor circuses are missing such an animal,” the spokesman said.
Two of Berlin’s zoos, the Tiergarten Berlin and the Zoological Gardens, have both confirmed that all of their animals have been accounted for.
Currently, the decision of whether to sedate or kill the animal is up in the air, although authorities have stated their main goal is to capture the animal alive.
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