Giant South American flightless birds are causing chaos in northern Germany after their population more than doubled, farming groups announced this week.

The autumn census of Europe's only wild rhea population, at the border of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania and Schleswig-Holstein, found numbers had jumped from 205 birds in spring to 566, according to the Ministry of Agriculture.

The population explosion of greater rheas came despite population control efforts in the Schaalsee Biosphere Reserve.

Almost 300 of the counted birds were juveniles born this year, presumably due to the uncharacteristically warm and dry summer.

Read more: Big South American Birds on the Loose in Northern Germany

10 wild animals that call Berlin home Who let the fox out? If you suddenly come face-to-face with a fox after a night out clubbing in Berlin, don't worry - you're not hallucinating. The entire city of Berlin has become a habitat for foxes, says conservationist and wild animal consultant Katrin Koch. In fact, studies show that there are now more fox dens in the city than in forests.

10 wild animals that call Berlin home Playful racoons It's not just foxes that might cross your path unexpectedly. Racoons are all over Berlin as well. They like to climb houses and play around in gardens and parks, and can even be found next to busy streets. Racoons are troglobionts, which means they live in caves. And they actually find more caves in the city than in the countryside, be that in roofs, chimneys or hollow trees.

10 wild animals that call Berlin home Boar the explorer As if the thought of wild foxes and raccoons in the middle of Berlin isn't scary enough, you could also easily run into a wild boar. They usually live on the outskirts of the city, but lately they've been coming more frequently toward the center, says Koch. The good news is that they've never attacked anyone, and don't really pose a threat. Nor do foxes or raccoons, by the way.

10 wild animals that call Berlin home Beaver the heaver Although beavers aren't native to Berlin, in the last decade they've made the city their home. That's because the species is protected, and they are not allowed to be hunted anymore. Now, almost all Havel and Spree waters are populated by beavers - so watch out for the furry, bucktoothed animals when you take a nice summer dip on one of Berlin's many waterways.

10 wild animals that call Berlin home More bats than rats? Gotham might be the home of Batman, but Berlin is a city of bats. One of their favorite hangouts is the citadel in Berlin's Spandau district, where thousands occupy a huge wintering ground. But they can also be seen swooping all over the city center, as buildings act as artificial cliffs for them.

10 wild animals that call Berlin home The funny bunny Whether it's a hot summer day or a snowy winter night, if you look closely you'll see the cutest Berliners of all: bunnies! Rabbits love hanging out in the city's parks, like Kleistpark, but they can also suddenly scamper out of any bush. I once encountered a fox surrounded by a family of rabbits in the middle of Berlin and thought: Am I in Wonderland? Maybe I need to party a bit less.

10 wild animals that call Berlin home The rarest of them all The biggest sensation of Berlin's wild animals is also one of its rarest: the white-tailed eagle. According to Koch, the first white-tailed eagle returned to Berlin in 2002 after nearly a century. It's the largest raptor, or predatory bird, that Berlin has to offer. So next time you see a large brown bird with a wide wingspan and a sharp yellow beak making the rounds over Berlin, snap a pic.

10 wild animals that call Berlin home Apartment dwellers The most famous falcon in Berlin is the kestrel. They love breeding high above us, where there's fresh air - and space, such as wall openings and window bays. Kestrels are now protected by the Nature and Biodiversity Conservation Union (NABU), which installed nesting boxes all over the city at schools, churches and industrial buildings - making them apartment dwellers just like most Berliners.

10 wild animals that call Berlin home Cheeky Berlin sparrow Berlin is the city with the largest number of birds in all of Germany, including songbirds, raptors, and even large seagulls. But the cutest of them all is the cheeky Berlin sparrow that'll happily eat out of your hand. While the sparrow population in other German cities like Hamburg is decreasing, they're thriving in Berlin and are ready to dip their beaks into your food when you're not watching.

10 wild animals that call Berlin home Night owl One of Berlin's most unique wild animals is the night owl, or party animal. Its habitat includes the districts of Neukölln, Friedrichshain and Kreuzberg. This species can be identified by their glitter-covered bodies, preference for drinking Club Mate and their attraction to loud electronic beats. In the early morning hours, the party animal can also be found sleeping on the city's trains. Author: Anne-Sophie Brändlin



Hungry, three-toed giants

The birds, which are distantly related to the ostrich and emu, can grow to 170 cm (67 in) tall and can weigh up to 40 kg (88 lb). Farmers dislike the three-toed giants as they can devour cereal and rapeseed fields.

The local farmers' union claims the birds cause tens of thousands of euros of damage to farms each year. They also occasionally stroll onto the autobahn, causing headaches for commuters.

Read more: Insect and bird populations declining dramatically in Germany

The German population is descended from a few breeding pairs which escaped from an exotic meat farm near Lübeck in the late 1990s and early 2000s. They migrated to Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania and found a home for themselves in the extensive fields and meadows of the UNESCO-listed Schaalsee Biosphere Reserve, where they prospered.

Wildlife officers have been controlling the population by drilling the rhea's eggs and covering them in wax, but the campaign appears to be getting less effective.

Farmers have been lobbying the government to expand their efforts and allow the male birds to be shot, and state authorities have agreed to look into alternative population control methods. However, the so-called neozoans (introduced species) are not listed as an invasive species as they do not cause damage to native fauna and flora, complicating eradication efforts.