Kleinmachnow
After lion search: expected result of track analysis
A community hunter runs through a forest near the southern border of Berlin. photo
© Fabian Sommer/dpa
After the end of the search for a supposed big cat in Kleinmachnow, one last uncertainty remains as to which animal it was. Analyzes in the laboratory should now bring clarity.
Was it a wild boar or a lioness? The results of the analysis of tracks that are included in the search for an alleged big cat are eagerly awaited Kleinmachnow south of Berlin had been secured.
These are fecal and hair samples. These should be evaluated today, as the spokeswoman for the community, Martina Bellack, explained at the weekend. These should clearly clarify whether the animal filmed by a young resident on Thursday night was a wild boar or perhaps a big cat.
Brandenburg’s interior minister defends large-scale operation
The search began on Thursday after the witness’s video, which the police initially estimated showed a lioness. The police searched for the predator with more than a hundred officers, using helicopters, thermal imaging cameras and tracking dogs. However, no reliable observations could be made during the 30-hour mission.
The mission was canceled on Friday afternoon after experts analyzed the images and said that it was most likely not a lioness but a wild boar. According to Mayor Michael Grubert (SPD) and the police, there was no evidence of a lioness. The authorities no longer saw any acute danger and lifted a warning.
Brandenburg’s Interior Minister Michael Stübgen (CDU) had defended the large-scale police operation despite the high costs. “The safety of the population has top priority,” said Stübgen of the German Press Agency.