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Puma alarm at Geiseltalsee: Mysterious animal causes confusion!
Wildcat at Geiseltalsee causes excitement in the Saale district: experts rate the sighting as a potential puma, search discontinued.
Puma alarm at Geiseltalsee: Mysterious animal causes confusion!
On June 13, 2025, a wild cat was spotted at Geiseltalsee in Saxony-Anhalt, which made for an exciting few days. The report about the animal reached the responsible district on June 17th, which led to the issuance of a warning message via the Federal Office for Disaster Relief's Nina app. The public was urged to avoid forests and high vegetation areas to stay safe. In the days that followed, the excitement surrounding the sighting of the big cat grew ever greater.
A first video of the animal, recorded in a part of Braunsbedra harbor, raised suspicions: it was sometimes thought that it could be a puma. An expert from the Saalekreis even said that the probability of dealing with a puma was 80 percent. But skeptical voices soon spoke up. Nabu expert Silvester Tamás criticized this assessment and pointed out the poor image quality of the video, which made precise identification much more difficult. “It could also be other animals such as dogs,” emphasized Tamás.
The search for the predator
The local authorities responded immediately; Police and fire departments used drones and a helicopter to locate the mysterious animal. However, in another video, the animal appeared smaller than originally expected, which ultimately led to the extensive search being ended. On Tuesday evening, after a thorough evaluation of both videos, the all-clear was finally given: the animal was no longer classified as dangerous. This also ended the plans to anesthetize the animal and take it to a zoo, although the Halle Mountain Zoo had already given its consent to take it in.
The discussion surrounding the sighting also led to renewed thinking about keeping dangerous animals. Animal protection organizations such as Peta have even offered a reward of 500 euros for information about the identity of the possibly illegal animal owner. According to recent reports, there was no evidence of an escape from a zoo or circus. All known animal owners in the region were contacted because it was initially assumed that they were being kept illegally. A cunning calf in the area is being examined to determine whether a big cat is responsible.
What could it really have been?
The experts do not agree. Tamás explained that a lynx could be ruled out because the animal in the video had a long tail, whereas lynxes have a short tasseled tail. In addition, there is no current evidence of lynx in the region, while an estimated 120 lynx live in the Harz. Despite this uncertainty, animal protection organizations are calling for targeted regulations on keeping dangerous animals, as such special rules are currently missing in Saxony-Anhalt.
The confusion among the population is reminiscent of a similar event in Kleinmachnow, when a wild boar was mistakenly identified as a lioness. What is clear is that the sighting not only caused excitement, but also raised important questions about the conservation and protection of wildlife. At the same time, this episode underlines the importance of clear regulations when dealing with wild animals in order to protect both people and animals.
So it remains exciting to see what was actually spotted at Geiseltalsee. Nature has its secrets, and it can not only fascinate, but also raise questions that will be discussed for a long time.