In total, hundreds of police officers participated in the search for the animal suspected to be a lion.
The lion searched for in the Berlin metropolitan area is indeed a wild boar in the light of new evidence, German newspaper Bild tells.
On Thursday, based on observations, the police warned the residents of the southern parts of the metropolitan area, i.e. Kleinmachnow, Teltow and Stahnsdorwerei, about a lion roaming freely in Berlin. The police also urged people living in the areas to stay indoors.
The police got hold of an eyewitness video originally published on social media, in which the animal can be seen filmed in the municipality of Kleinmachnow near the border of the city of Berlin. Bild also reported on Thursday, based on its information, that the police had seen a lion moving freely twice.
Mayor of Kleinmachnow Michael Grubert however, said on Friday afternoon at a press conference that the search has been suspended, because based on the search and expert statements, the animal found was probably a wild boar.
For example, on Thursday, Sky News shared a video of an animal suspected to be a lion on its Twitter account:
Hundreds of police officers
According to Bild, a total of more than 400 police officers participated in the search. The police used helicopters, thermal cameras and drones in night searches.
Mayor Grubert told the German television company RBB that hunters and veterinarians were also involved in the search.
However, Friday morning’s search did not yield any new sightings of the lion – only a herd of wild boars was found in the forest.
The wild boar theory is supported by a computer analysis of video and images taken from the animal, the results of which Grubert presented at the press conference. According to Grubert, the described animal does not, for example, have the long, curved neck typical of felines.
– The silhouette of the animal shown in the video is more like a wild boar than a lioness, says Grubert.
Zoos, circuses or animal sanctuaries in the Berlin metropolitan area have not reported any runaways either.
According to Grubert, the situation is being monitored and the police are on standby in case of new lion sightings.
Sources: Reuters, AFP