Puma alarm at the Geiseltalsee: Mysterious animal causes confusion!

Wildcat at the Geiseltalsee causes excitement in the Saalekreis: Experts evaluate sighting as a potential puma, searched.
Wildcat at the Geiseltalsee causes excitement in the Saalekreis: Experts evaluate sighting as a potential puma, searched. (Symbolbild/NAG)

Puma alarm at the Geiseltalsee: Mysterious animal causes confusion!

Geiseltalsee, Sachsen-Anhalt, Deutschland - On June 13, 2025, a wild cat was spotted at the Geiseltalsee in Saxony-Anhalt, which caused some exciting days. The report about the animal reached the responsible district on June 17, which led to publishing a warning message via the Nina app of the Federal Office for Disaster Aid. The population was urgently asked to avoid forests and highly overgrown areas to be on the safe side. In the following days, the excitement about the viewing of the big cat was greater.

A first video of the animal that was recorded in part of the Braunsbedra port left a suspicion: Sometimes it was suspected that it could be a puma. An expert in the Saalekreis even said that the likelihood of having it with a puma was 80 percent. But skeptical voices soon spoke up. The NABU expert New Year's Eve Tamás criticized this assessment and pointed out the poor image quality of the video, which makes it significantly more difficult to identify. "It could also be other animals like dogs," emphasized Tamás.

The search for the predator

The local authorities reacted immediately; The police and fire brigade used drones and a helicopter to make out the mysterious animal. In another video, however, the animal appeared smaller than originally suspected, which ultimately led to the end of the comprehensive search. On Tuesday evening, after a detailed evaluation of both videos, the all -clear was finally given: the animal was no longer classified as dangerous. This also ended the plans to numb the animal and bring it to a zoo, even though the mountain zoo Halle had already given its consent to admission.

The discussion about the sighting also led to a renewed thinking about the attitude of dangerous animals. Animal welfare organizations, such as PETA, have even exposed a reward of 500 euros for information on the identity of the possibly illegal pet owner. According to the latest reports, there was no evidence of escape from a zoo or a circus. All known animal owners in the region were requested because an illegal attitude was initially assumed. A clever calf in the area is examined to clarify whether a big cat is responsible.

what could it really have been?

The experts do not agree. Tamás explained that a lynx could be excluded, since the animal had a long cock in the video, Luchse, on the other hand, have a short tassel tail. In addition, there are no current evidence in the region for Luchse, while an estimated 120 lynxes live in the Harz. Regardless of this uncertainty, animal welfare organizations require targeted regulations for keeping dangerous animals, since such special rules have so far been missing in Saxony-Anhalt.

The confusion among the population is reminiscent of a similar event in Kleinmachnow when a wild boar was incorrectly identified as Löwin. It is clear that the sighting not only caused excitement, but also raised important questions about keeping and protecting the animal world. At the same time, this episode underlines the importance of clear regulations in dealing with wild animals to protect both people and the animals.

so remains exciting what was actually sighted at the Geiseltalsee. Nature has its secrets, and it can not only fascinate, but also raise questions that are discussed for a long time.

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OrtGeiseltalsee, Sachsen-Anhalt, Deutschland
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