Police warn of ‘lioness’ on the loose in Berlin as people told to hide pets

An animal - believed to be a lioness - is on the loose just outside Berlin. German police have asked residents to stay inside and bring in pets as hunters, vets, a helicopter and thermal cameras hunt for the wild animal. Officers have been using loudspeakers to warn people in the Kleinmachnow, Teltow and Stahnsdorf areas. Members of the public raised the alarm after seeing the animal chasing a wild boar, according to reports. “The two gentlemen recorded a smartphone video and even experienced police officers had to confirm that it is probably a lioness,” police spokesman Daniel Kiep told local broadcaster rbb. A video posted on Twitter - which has not been verified - appears to show a lion in undergrowth. However, no zoos or circuses have reported missing an animal. Police believe the animal could be sleeping in a wooded area. “The escaping wild animal has NOT been found yet! We still ask you not to leave the house. If you see the animal, please call the emergency number 110!,” Brandenburg police tweeted. In 2018, two lions, two tigers and a jaguar escaped their enclosures after storms destroyed fences in western Germany. The big cats were later recaptured after being found by a drone, it was reported. Meanwhile, a puma was reportedly seen on the loose in Cornwall in 2016 after a decapitated deer and large paw prints were found near where the animal was sighted. Read More 'Lion' on the loose in Cornwall now thought to be a puma Report of lion on loose sparks armed police hunt Woman carries growling 'pet' lion down street following its escape German authorities arrest suspects in theft of 483 Celtic gold coins from museum German woman voices remorse over enslaved Yazidi girl's death at new court hearing Germans should emulate southern Europeans' siesta during heat waves, public health group says