Lioness on the loose in Berlin

       German police have called off the search for the wild animal believed for hours to be a lioness.

       Experts analysing the information gathered over the past few days of the hunt have now come to the conclusion there is no "acute danger" to the people in the area, as the animal spotted is no longer thought to be a lioness.

       Michael Grubert, the mayor of Kleinmachnow, an area neighbouring Berlin, said: "Everything indicates it is not a lioness."

       The official added the animal spotted in the video that emerged on Wednesday night is, "with relative certainty" a boar.

       During the search, which began on Wednesday night, police officers didn't find any paw print or DNA material that could suggest the presence of a lion in the area.

       READ MORE Police hunting escaped lioness admit they 'don't know' where animal came from

       Police in Germany have called off the search for the lioness (Image: TWITTER)

       Officials also had experts analyse the video and compare the animal that was depicted with the body structure of a lioness, Mr Grubert said.

       Two experts concluded independently of each other that "this isn't a lioness or a wild animal".

       The rounded back and thick legs of the animal shown in the poorly lit video did not fit with it being a lioness, the mayor added.

       He also said: "We will return to the usual vigilant programme and we think there is no acute danger for Kleinmachnow or for the south of Berlin.

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       Several police officers were deployed to search for the lioness (Image: Getty)

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       Despite the new assessment, the past several hours of search involving more than 30 police cars, drones, helicopters and high-tech have been deemed "appropriate" by the mayor.

       He said: "The danger of a wild animal in Kleinmachnow justifies the deployment."

       The search began after police in Berlin started receiving several calls and a video on Wednesday night.

       The days-long search had been fuelled by sightings of the animal and reports by locals who claimed to have heard the animal roaring.

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       However, a police investigation showed no animal sanctuary, zoo or circus in the area had missed a wild animal.

       The clip that emerged on Wednesday was initially believed to show a lioness mauling a wild boar to death.

       Speaking of the hunt a few hours after being first alerted, Brandenburg police spokesman Daniel Keip said: "Around midnight, we received a message hard to imagine. Two passersby who saw one animal chasing another.

       "One was a wild boar and the other apparently a wild animal, a lioness. The two men recorded a video on their phones and even experienced policemen had to concede that it was probably a lioness."

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