In the thrilling saga that unfolded this summer, a suspected lioness kept the denizens of Berlin and Brandenburg on the edge of their seats for a tantalizing 36 hours. Midnight on the 19th of July was when my phone first buzzed with the disturbing news. No cause for alarm, I thought – late-night wildlife-related calls are par for the course, especially when wild animals are involved in accidents.
However, the police's urgent request for backup was unlike anything I'd experienced before. They needed someone to aid in the search for a massive predator, and quick. I arranged for a tranquilizer gun-wielding expert and got a few hours' rest before the phone rang again, alerting me to the fact that a lioness might be on the move from Brandenburg to Berlin.
Despite the authorities being well-prepared with their team of hunters and wildlife experts, I was given the freedom to maintain a watchful eye on the situation from the sidelines. A video recording had surfaced, showing some rather puzzling night-time activities in Berlin. As I examined the footage, my skepticism started to grow.
"Where, pray tell, is this elusive lioness hiding?" I muttered to myself, noting only two wild boars and signs of movement that didn't quite fit the profile of a large cat. My suspicions were further confirmed when the results of the analysis on the lioness's feces and hair samples came back – the beast was nothing more than a well-disguised wild boar.
The excited reports of an exotic lioness roaming the streets of Berlin turned out to be just a false alarm, but let me assure you that exotic animals do occasionally escape their captors in this bustling city. Another time, I dealt with an elephant that had decided to take a leisurely stroll through Jakob-Kaiser-Platz.
My work as a wildlife manager often involves fielding calls from Berliners who find themselves in the midst of a wild creature crisis. A fox displaying strange behaviors may leave some mothers concerned for their children's safety, but fear not: without the presence of rabies, the fox is likely just seeking a mate. Or so I tell them.
So, next time you hear whispers of a mysterious lioness stalking the streets of Berlin, remember the tale of the elusive wild boar, and keep an open mind. Wildlife misidentifications might be more common than you think.
Note: There are no known incidents of a lioness being mistaken for a wild boar in Berlin and Brandenburg. The information regarding the search for an exotic wildlife creature is derived from various articles and sources related to wildlife management and exotic animal sightings in urban areas.
