Officers scouring the outskirts of Berlin for a lioness now believe the mysterious animal is actually a wild boar.

Heat-seeking equipment has been used in the search – but no evidence of a big cat has been found.

The mayor of Kleinmachnow, Michael Grubert, has admitted he was “sceptical from the beginning” that a lion was on the loose.

It comes after school children were advised to stay indoors as police searched for the suspected lioness.

The mayor said they had not “found a single indication of any lion or wild animal, other than wild boar”.

“It’s like playing the lottery. You can’t keep playing, thinking you’ll win – but no, as is, there’s no indication it’s a lion,” he added.