Investigators collect clues from the stolen truck while Caesar waits. Photo: DPA

Thief accidentally steals circus lion

Published: 11 Nov 09 14:44 CET
Online: http://www.thelocal.de/society/20091111-23203.html

A truck thief unintentionally stole a circus lion in Wuppertal before crashing the vehicle and fleeing the scene, police in the state of North Rhine-Westphalia told The Local on Wednesday.

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The truck had been parked at a carnival lot in the city’s northeastern district of Barmen and bore no markings that would indicate it belonged to a circus or contained live freight when it was taken on Tuesday.

According to Wuppertal police spokeswoman Claudia Otto, Circus Probst filed a stolen vehicle report and explained that their five-year-old carnivore “Caesar” was in the truck and likely getting hungry and thirsty.

“At same time an anonymous report came in around 2 am that a truck had crashed into a traffic sign and the driver had fled,” Otto told The Local.

Officers secured the vehicle, which was found some two kilometres from where it was stolen, and had it towed to a police lot for further investigation.

“There it sat overnight until this morning when someone realised that the missing lion was in the truck,” she said. “My colleagues there tell me he is relaxed and doing well.”

While big cat Caesar is on his way back to the circus, which is headed on to perform shows in Krefeld, police are searching for the unsuccessful thief.

“It’s a happy ending,” Otto said.

Kristen Allen (kristen.allen@thelocal.de)

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Your comments about this article:

21:21 November 11, 2009 by Davey-jo

It's a cross-dresser.

Report abuse »

15:16 November 12, 2009 by Hasilein

It is possible for lions not to have manes, and all of the German media has reported that it is indeed a MALE lion.

See here, from Wikipedia:

Maneless male lions have been reported in Senegal and Tsavo East National Park in Kenya, and the original male white lion from Timbavati also was maneless. Castrated lions have minimal manes. The lack of a mane sometimes is found in inbred lion populations; inbreeding also results in poor fertility.

There's also photographic evidence of the "maneless male lion": http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lion

Report abuse »

21:37 November 12, 2009 by Major B

The way this article is written, I'm beginning to sense a Teutonic sense of humor and am enjoying it. That story about the "Buttocks blows up gas" comes to mind.

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13:41 November 13, 2009 by bail_me_out

Poor bastard the thief, imagine his plight when he wuda been speeding down the streets so as to get home 2 expliore his goodies, n suddenly hears this brulling roar cmin fm behind his a$$. gives me sheer joy to imagine.

even better, he gets down to chk out the freight ..no sound warnings, N vOILA!

Think the lion(ess) gave im a heads up?

Report abuse »

19:51 November 13, 2009 by ergoiam

Does it really matter if the picture is accurate or not? Perhaps they shave the lion in which case the local animal control authorities should be alerted. Pehaps Herr Koenig has a skin condition. It may also be that der Loewe may just be rebelling against his parents and decided to shave his mane. All in all it really doesn't matter. Neither does this post. Carry on!

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