There's A Lion On The Loose In Berlin, And All Police Want To Talk About Are Big Ducks And Alligators

Police in the greater Berlin area are on the hunt for a lioness that was reported roaming the woods near a suburb.

Now, I'm not an expert on German flora and fauna, but I'm pretty sure lions aren't cruising around Europe in large numbers.

The search began Wednesday night after police began receiving reports of a lioness. Eventually, someone even managed to snag some video of it.

Once the reports had come in, the BBC reports that 30 police cars were dispatched to begin looking for the big cat. Veterinarians were called in to join the search as well.

The Search For The Lion Is Still Ongoing

According to Michael Grubert, the mayor of Kleinmachnow — a town near where the cat was sighted — authorities have not been able to verify initial reports. However, one officer involved in the search reported having seen the lioness.

Still, police spokesman Daniel Keip said that the police are treating reports like they're 100% authentic. He also gave a quote about how similar calls about dangerous animals in the German wilderness are not always true.

He told public broadcaster RBB that "in the summer you often hear reports of crocodiles in swimming lakes and then it turns out all it was, was a big duck."

I get there aren't a lot of alligators in Germany, but c'mon guys. We should all know the difference between big ducks and alligators.

However, Keip said this is not an alligator/big duck situation.

"In this case it's obviously totally real. We're dealing with a lioness that's roaming freely through Teltow, Stahnsdorf and Kleinmachnow."

The BBC reported that the search is currently focused on a wooded area where people typically walk their dogs. The belief is that the lioness is sleeping here.

How a lioness wound up roaming around the outskirts of Berlin, we may never know.

However, seeing a lion while walking your dog would be terrifying. Enough to make anyone lose the bier and schnitzel they had for lunch.

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