The Berlin Bear was launched as the official symbol of the German capital on Thursday. A “free-roaming lioness” in the area led to an extensive search involving more than 100 police officers, veterinarians and hunters, as well as drones and helicopters trying to catch the animal, officials said.
“People are encouraged to stay at home if possible and not let their pets out,” said a statement from the German municipality of Kleinmachnau in the state of Brandenburg, where the first sighting of the animals was reported. Officials in the town of 20,000 people, about 14 miles from the center of Berlin, said the lioness had been “causing a stir” overnight since it was spotted eating a wild boar along the road.
The animal had not been captured as of Thursday evening local time, and veterinarians, hunters, helicopters and drones were involved in the search, Brandenburg police said in a statement. The search focused on the areas of Teltow, Kleinmachno and Stansdorf, three small towns on the southwestern border of Berlin, where police had issued an animal alert.
“We request the population in the above-mentioned areas to exercise due caution and avoid venturing into the adjoining forest areas,” a police statement said. Anyone who sees the animal should “seek shelter immediately” and call the police.
A sighting of a wild boar being chased and eaten in Kleinmachno was reported to the police around midnight on Wednesday, he said in a statement.
A short, grainy video of the scene, shared with police and later circulated on social media Thursday, shows a large wild cat feeding on a wild boar in a grassy, wooded roadside area. Police said the animal in the video appeared to be a lioness, calling that possibility “credible”.
A search for the animal began immediately, police said, with Berlin and Brandenburg police forces using helicopters. Riot police were on the spot to protect the local residents.
Officials in the town of Kleinmachno said their goal was to tranquilize and capture the animal rather than kill it. But the hunter is on standby in case the animal threatens any life.
After an initial sighting and video, police identified the animal themselves, a police spokesman in Brandenburg told The Associated Press. Kleinmachno’s mayor and police did not immediately respond to questions about the sightings. Officials said they could not confirm other sightings reported by residents.
Officials said the animal is likely to be in the forested areas of Brandenburg.
It is unclear where the lion came from, as lions are not native to Germany. Although there are zoos, animal shelters and circuses in the area, no one has reported the lioness missing, police said.
Online commenters doubted the animal in the video was a lion, but police said it was more likely.
Others reveled in the confusion, and Memes Abundant: The Twitter page for Deutsche Bahn, the national German railway operator, He tweeted A helpful reminder that while house cats and small pets don’t need their own tickets, larger pets “except companion lions” need their own train passes.
