Police on Thursday warned the population of the southwestern suburbs of Berlin to stay in their homes, as a lion roams the streets freely, writes Reuters.

An overnight police operation involving two helicopters was extended into the early hours of Thursday as 100 officers with stun guns searched for the animal, a police spokesman said in Brandenburg, the land that surrounds the German capital.

“We are currently working on the assumption that the animal is a lioness,” a spokesman told Reuters.

On Thursday, Berlin police said on Twitter that the high-alert zone included the southern outskirts of the capital. The search area covers the municipalities of Kleinmachnow and Stansdorf in Brandenburg.

Germany’s Federal Office for Civil Protection warned local residents to keep any pets at home.

When asked where the wild animal could have come from, a police spokesman said it was unclear. He stated that there are zoos and a circus in the area, but none of these places have reported any animals missing. (Photo: Dreamstime.com)