Metro

‘Lioness’ near Berlin still on the loose

Published

9 months ago

July 21, 2023

AFP

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German police extended the search Friday for a wild animal believed to be a lioness roaming the outskirts of Berlin more than 24 hours since the last reported sighting.

In a story that has fascinated Germany and given rise to a slew of satirical memes on social media, two people spotted what appeared to be a lioness early Thursday chasing a wild boar down a street outside the capital and made a short, grainy video.

But their account and a sighting by police officers remain the only evidence so far of the wild animal, more at home on the African savanna than the sandy soil of eastern Germany.

Police continued combing the streets of suburban communities southwest of Berlin in the small hours of Friday using night-vision goggles and drones but called off a forest search until daybreak, a spokesman said.

The mayor of the town of Kleinmachnow, Michael Grubert, told public broadcaster RBB that professional animal trackers searching for dung or bloody remains of prey had been enlisted alongside police, veterinarians and hunters.

But he acknowledged that the massive operation involving over 100 police officers as well as helicopters and thermal-imaging cameras was stretching his community’s resources.

“This can’t go on for days,” he said.

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Once the animal is found, it will likely be sedated with a tranquiliser and taken to an animal shelter, Grubert said.

The two dozen registered lions in Brandenburg state surrounding Berlin are accounted for, authorities said, leaving police to ask whether the beast had been kept illegally. No owner has come forward since the search began.

‘Into thin air’

Despite numerous tips from citizens, including a few claiming to have heard a loud roar, none of the information had led to the animal being located so far, police said.

Residents in the area have been advised “to act with appropriate caution and to avoid the adjacent forests” and look after pets and farm animals.

Anyone crossing paths with the big cat should “seek safety immediately and call the police”, Brandenburg police said.

Despite the reported sightings by the passersby and police, wildlife expert Derk Ehlert voiced doubt it was actually a lioness on the loose due to the absence of any trace of the beast since early Thursday.

“A lioness doesn’t just disappear into thin air,” he told public radio.

Ehlert and other specialists also noted the relatively short tail of the creature in the video, as well as its big ears.

“I’ve never seen a lion with jug ears,” circus owner Michel Rogall told local media.

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It’s not the first time Germans have been told to be on the lookout for wild animals.

In May, residents in the central German city of Erfurt were jolted by the sight of a kangaroo hopping across a busy road after escaping from a private property.

In 2019, it took several days for a deadly cobra to be recaptured in the western town of Herne, where residents had been told to keep their windows closed and steer clear of tall grass.

In 2016, German zookeepers shot dead a lion after it escaped from its enclosure in the eastern city of Leipzig and a tranquiliser failed to stop it.

Related Topics:‘Lioness’ Near Berlin Still On The Loose Berlin

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Metro

Nightclub killing in Ogbomoso confirmed by Police; officers detained

Published

2 days ago

April 25, 2024

admin

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The Oyo State Police Command has confirmed the killing of one Iyanfa Damilola at a nightclub in Ogbomoso on Monday and also detained officers involved in the incident.

Police operatives were dispatched to the nightclub at the “Under G” area, Owode Ogbomoso, while the 16th convocation of Ladoke Akintola University of Technology (LAUTECH) was going on after a distress call over a fighting incident in the place.

But the Oyo State Police Command spokesman Osifeso Adewale said the fracas worsened, leading to the firing of “warning shots” by the officers. This led to one death.

“The incident recorded the death of one Iyanda Damilola, ‘m’, and the injury of his brother one Iyanda Femi Isreal, who has since been discharged from the hospital after treatment,” Osifeso said in a Thursday statement.

“All operatives involved in the incident including Inspr Rasheed Saheed are currently under detention at the State Criminal Investigation Department, Iyaganku,” he added.

According to him, the police commissioner in Oyo Adebola Hamzat has ordered that the case be “taken up by the Homicide Department of the State Criminal Investigation Department with the Deputy Commissioner of Police directly in charge of the investigations”.

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Metro

Photos: Four Injured in Collision on Ibadan-Abeokuta -Omi-Adio Expressway

Published

3 weeks ago

April 8, 2024

Idowu Ayodele, Ibadan

No fewer than four passengers sustained varying degrees of injuries in an auto crash on the Ibadan, Omi-Adio-Abeokuta Expressway, according to reports from Mega Icon Magazine.

The incident, which unfolded on Monday, involved a Volkswagen Golf car and a tricycle, commonly known as Keke Marwa, colliding at the Command area along the road, in the Ido local government area of Oyo state.

Eyewitnesses recounted to our reporter that the Volkswagen car, driven by an individual with mobility impairments or difficulties with his legs, suspected to be from an accident, was traveling from Apata to Omi-Adio when it veered off the road and collided with the tricycle heading towards Apata shortly after 6:00 p.m.

Four individuals, including the tricycle driver, were injured in the accident, while three occupants of the Volkswagen Golf, including a one-year-old baby, escaped unharmed.

Promptly responding to the scene, officers of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) swiftly took action, transporting the injured victims to an undisclosed hospital at the time of press.

Metro

Tragic Accident Claims Lives of Siblings in Ondo

Published

3 weeks ago

April 8, 2024

admin

In a devastating incident along the Ibi-Mango area in Ore, Odigbo Local Government Area of Ondo State, two siblings met a tragic end as they were reportedly crushed to death by a truck.

The fatal accident occurred at 10:25 am on Saturday when the victims, riding on a motorcycle, collided with a truck loaded with sand.

According to an eyewitness at the scene, the siblings lost control of their motorcycle, leading to a collision with the oncoming truck along the Okitipupa route. The impact of the crash resulted in the untimely demise of the siblings.

Confirming the incident, Ezekiel Son-Allah, the Sector Commander of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) in Ondo State, attributed the cause of the accident to overspeeding by the victims.

Son-Allah urged motorists and motorcyclists to prioritise safety on the highways by avoiding overspeeding and dangerous overtaking maneuvers.

The bodies of the victims were swiftly transported to the General Hospital Mortuary in Ore, as disclosed by the FRSC boss.

Also, the vehicles involved in the tragic collision were handed over to the police of the Ore Division for further investigation.