Lioness on the loose in Berlin

       German police have no idea where the lioness currently on the loose in the southwestern outskirts of Berlin is from.

       Officers have checked zoos, circuses and animal sanctuaries only to find all their animals were accounted for.

       A police spokesman candidly told German publication Bild: "We don't know where it came from."

       Shedding some light on the mystery, Nadine Ronco Alarcón from the animal protection organisation Four Paws said: "Since no zoo or circus has yet reported the animal as missing, it may be a private animal."

       Local authorities aren't aware of privately-owned lions in the region.

       READ MORE: Moment missing lioness mauls a wild boar near major city as police hunt underway

       A lioness is on the loose in Berlin (Image: Twitter/iqzze1/Nico M)

       If the animal does come from a private owner, this person would be possessing the lioness illegally and if identified would be forced to pay for the hunt in full, the German publication reported.

       The search began on Wednesday night, after police received numerous calls and a video alerting them to a wild animal roaming Kleinmachnow, just outside Berlin's city limits.

       The short clip showed the animal mauling a wild boar to death just on the side of a road.

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       Police don't know where the lioness came from (Image: AP)

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       The massive hunt is involving at least 30 police cars, drones, helicopters and a number of veterinarians.

       The search entered a "hot phase" on Thursday after police said a local resident had spotted the lioness.

       Joggers were told to "get out of the woods quickly", as authorities believe the lioness may be sleeping there.

       However, despite the use of night vision and thermal imaging equipment, the lioness continues to elude the search team.

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       Locals have been urged to remain indoors (Image: AP)

       Locals have been urged to remain indoors and to be particularly careful about their pets and children.

       Jan Redmann, a Christian Democratic Union MP for Brandenburg, believes the search may "take a while" given the lioness has fed and possibly found a place to hide in the woods.

       He added: "This can take a while. It is possible that the lion will not reappear until the weekend.

       "The important thing is to keep your eyes open and keep calm. The police are doing everything they can to find the lion."

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