Is there a lioness walking through the forest near Berlin? Drones and helicopters continue to search Storms in northern Italy claim more than 100 injuries

At night people were warned via warning apps about the possible danger of a free-roaming predatory cat. The emergency services have been searching for hours with drones and helicopters. They are supported by veterinarians and hunters.

The tip reached the police on Thursday evening from the municipality of Kleinmachnow on the southwestern edge of the German capital. A video shows the presumably wild animal among trees and bushes. According to initial police assessments, it was a lioness, authorities said. “The situation described is considered credible,” it said.

The hunt has begun in the area around Kleinmachnow – where wild boars otherwise flit through the woods. The warning from the Federal Office for Civil Protection and Disaster Relief also applies to the south of Berlin. The city of Potsdam also called on its residents to be vigilant on Thursday.

Many questions are still open: so far the police have no information about where the animal could have come from. Zoos, animal parks, circuses and animal shelters were checked. However, according to the police, no lioness is missing there. This was also confirmed by the Berlin Zoo and Tierpark on Thursday. The filmed predator was not from their own supply, the facilities said.

Based on the short recordings on the internet, it cannot be ruled out that it is a lioness, a statement said. “But we cannot confirm this with certainty because of the low quality of the recordings,” says Christian Kern, zoological director of Zoo und Tierpark Berlin.

Experts at zoos and animal parks estimate that a lioness would be fine in a local forest during the summer months. In unfamiliar territory for her, it can be assumed that she retreats into the undergrowth and does not actively seek contact with people. “The risk of a wild animal attacking a human directly in an open area such as a forest, park or field is lower than if it feels cornered and threatened in a residential area.” When meeting the animal, it is important to keep sufficient distance, to notify the police and to pass on the location.

Helicopters were already in action at night in Kleinmachnow. Everything in the small town seemed completely normal Thursday morning, according to a dpa reporter. (saw/sda/dpa)

(t-online/pb)