Image: Fabian Sommer (dpa)
An unusual warning reached the population south of Berlin on Thursday. A free-roaming big cat is said to have been spotted in Kleinmachnow in the state of Brandenburg. A few seconds of cell phone video from a witness shows the animal sneaking around between bushes and trees. The investigating authorities consider the video to be genuine. Police officers also saw the big cat – presumably a lioness – during the night, said a spokeswoman for the authorities.
There was another possible sighting in the afternoon in the Berlin city area, near the southern border with Brandenburg. Due to the clues, police officers searched in Zehlendorf in the area of the forest cemetery in the afternoon – but the trail led to nothing. “There were no indications or traces that the animal was actually there,” the police said on Twitter.
Video: Search for lioness in Berlin
So initially there was no trace of the animal. No blood, feces, or paw prints indicated his presence in the area. With a large contingent, the police and fire brigade were on duty throughout the day. They searched for the animal with drones, helicopters and thermal imaging cameras, supported by veterinarians and hunters. Above all was the question: Where does the lioness come from?
At least not from the zoos, animal parks and circuses in this region, as the police found out during the night. Nobody missed a big cat there. Private owners are not known in Kleinmachnow, Mayor Michael Grubert said at a press conference. He spoke of a “serious situation”.
The private keeping of wild animals is a state matter in Germany. In Berlin it is forbidden, in Brandenburg there is no special regulation apart from the Federal Species Protection Ordinance. Findings about an illegal attitude were not initially known on Thursday. According to the State Environment Agency, 23 lions are registered in Brandenburg. These are three circus companies, two zoos and a private attitude.
Big crowd in a small town
The quiet town of Kleinmachnow, which borders directly on Berlin, was caught cold by the search. Helicopters were already in action there on Thursday night. In the morning everything seemed completely normal in the community. 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.
The community tried to let everyday life run its course without taking too many risks. So Kleinmachnow left the kindergartens open, but asked that the children stay on the premises. The weekly market has been reduced. A café in the center should keep the doors closed. Life went on as normal, many people were also on foot or by bike. What indicated the search for a lioness was the police, some of whom were present.
According to estimates by experts from zoos and animal parks in Berlin, a lioness would be perfectly fine in a German forest in the summer months. In a territory unknown to her, it can be assumed that she will withdraw into the undergrowth and not actively seek contact with people, the facilities said. “The risk of a wild animal attacking a human directly in an open area such as a forest, park or field is also lower than when it feels cornered and threatened in a residential area.”
Fate of the lioness still unclear
The fate of the animal is still unclear should it be found. A spokeswoman for the district of Potsdam-Mittelmark said there were a veterinarian and two hunters with weapons on the spot. When the animal is found, a decision is made as to whether to use anesthetic or shoot it. Kleinmachnow’s mayor relied on capture and stunning if necessary.
If an animal is caught in the wild, tele-injection with an anesthetic gun is used, said May Hokan of the World Wide Fund For Nature (WWF). Zoo veterinarians, who can deal well with such situations even under stress, could do this best.
The vet described possible problems: “When you meet a lion like that, it doesn’t fall over straight away and fall asleep. There is a stressful phase, it has this arrow in its butt, it will start running and make a fuss.” This takes a few minutes, also depending on the type of anesthetic. “We then have a difficult phase before the animal falls asleep and the animal can be approached.” Theoretically it would also be possible to shoot it down.
Source: Nachrichten
