Kleinmachnow
Police: Escaped predator most likely lioness
A predator has been sighted in the south of Berlin – most likely a lioness. The police are looking. photo
© Fabian Sommer/dpa
The news surprised many people in the south of Berlin: the police are warning the population there of an escaped predator. It is unclear: How dangerous is it? And where does it come from?
People in the south of Berlin were surprised by an unusual warning in the early hours of Thursday: The Police are looking for an escaped predator. According to the information, it is most likely a lioness.
The search is on in the area around the municipality of Kleinmachnow (Brandenburg) on the southern outskirts of the capital – where wild boars usually flit through the woods.
The population was informed of the possible danger with the help of warning apps. The police also warned them about the escaped predator with loudspeaker announcements. People were asked to refrain from walking in the woods, a spokesman for the West Police Department said early in the morning.
No lioness is missing
However, many questions are still open: So far, the police have no information on where the animal could have come from. Zoos, animal parks, circuses and animal protection facilities were checked. According to the police, however, no lioness is missing there. The search operation began during the night. The police assume that the animal is in the Teltow, Kleinmachnow and Stahnsdorf area.
The warning from the Federal Office for Civil Protection and Disaster Assistance also includes the south of Berlin, such as Steglitz, Marienfelde and Neukölln. The Federal Office recommends not letting pets outside and informing yourself about the course of the search operation in the media.
helicopter in action
In Kleinmachnow, helicopters were already in action during the night. According to a dpa reporter, everything in the community seemed completely normal on Thursday morning. There was hardly any sign of the search for a dangerous predator. Cyclists were out and about, dog walkers, people on their way to work or to go shopping. Work was done on construction sites.
A spokeswoman for the community said in the morning that the daycare centers in Kleinmachnow were open, but the children were not allowed out in the garden. City Hall will also remain open. The traders at the market were advised not to set up any stands. “There are hardly any people there,” said the spokeswoman.
The police operation continued in the morning. “We are on site with massive forces to protect the population,” said a spokeswoman for the West Police Department in the morning. The police called on people to be careful and avoid walking in the woods. But there is no curfew, it said. Police officers are also on the move in the nearby small town of Teltow.
Avoid walks in the forest
A spokeswoman for the district of Potsdam-Mittelmark said there were a veterinarian and two hunters with weapons on site. When the animal is found, a decision is made as to whether to use anesthetic or shoot it. Finding the predator is a big challenge.
According to the police, they found out about the wild animal through witnesses. These would have recorded videos that showed, for example, how the big cat hunted and killed a wild boar.