Berlin authorities abandon hunt for ‘lioness,’ saying they found no evidence of a wild animal

By Chris Stern, Fred Pleitgen and Sharon Braithwaite, CNN

(CNN) — Local authorities in Germany said Friday that they are ending a search operation for what was previously believed to be a lioness on the loose in the suburbs of Berlin.

“After examining several hints, there was not a single indication concerning a lioness or a wild animal in the area,” Michael Grubert, the mayor of Kleinmachnow, an area on the city’s southwest outskirts, told reporters.

Authorities ordered a large-scale search mission around midnight local time Thursday (6 p.m. ET Wednesday), after several eyewitnesses reported seeing a large predatory cat chasing a wild boar.

The search team, involving two helicopters, a convoy of 30 police vehicles and 100 police armed with drones and infrared cameras, also included a veterinarian and hunters.

Police had earlier warned residents in parts of Berlin to stay indoors.

Grubert had said Thursday that the animal spotted was believed to be a lioness. On Friday, he said that “except wild boar, nothing else has been encountered.”

“You can say pretty confidently, today, July 21, there is no wild animal there in the area,” he added, saying: “I can say with a clear conscience that there is no danger in Berlin or Kleinmachnow.”

Police spokeswoman Kerstin Schroeder earlier confirmed that authorities “investigated the origin of the animal during the night. That is to say, we checked zoos, animal parks and other animal-keeping facilities and made inquiries. No animal of this kind has disappeared from any of these facilities.”

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