Puma alarm at the Geiseltalsee: City in turmoil after sighting!

Puma alarm at the Geiseltalsee: City in turmoil after sighting!

In the Saalekreis, a mysterious video that shows a "big cat" is currently causing excitement and headlines throughout Germany. The authorities were alerted after the viewing of the possibly a puma was reported. An employee of the district office filmed the cat and handed over the video experts, who were able to recognize a blurring - and the assessment that it could be a big cat was surprisingly not to be dismissed. As dubisthalle.de , there was immediately a large-scale use of the police, hunters, drones and even helicopter around the Geiseltalsee.

The reactions of the authorities were quick and clear. Walks were advised to take cover and keep dogs on a leash to protect themselves and their animals. The district office was aware of the situation and gave a warning about the emergency app Nina to ask the population not to approach the animal. However, Sabine Faulstich, a speaker of the Saalekreis, pointed out that the source of sighting was classified as "credible". Nevertheless, it remains unclear whether the cat actually chose the Geiseltalsee as a whereabouts, as can be seen in another report by

high public attention

The media preparation of the incident has led to high public attention, which is considered an example of the collective excitement in today's digital time. Reports from all over Germany and also studies that can be read in bpb.de that the connection between social media with traditional journalism has a significant impact on perception of such events. At a time when information is spread at lightning speed, people are often between fascination and concern.

On Tuesday evening, the authorities finally published a "cautious all -clear" and emphasized that the situation around the cat no longer had to be considered acute. The exact origin of the animal could not be determined by an examination; The district received new information that the animal could possibly be smaller than initially suspected.

the context and the dilemma

With all excitement, the question remains in the room where the cat comes from. The district office examines whether the animal may be illegal. In the past few days, a calf has also been torn on a nearby lake, and there is a possibility that a big cat is responsible. All animal owners to the surrounding area have already been asked to ensure that there are no missing animals from zoos or circuses.

Similar incidents in the past, such as that of Kleinmachnow, which turned out to be wild boar, show how easily rumors can spread. There were also numerous views of large cats in Great Britain, which often turned out to be false alarms afterwards.

The challenge is not only in the clarification of the situation around this mysterious large cat, but also in the way such stories are carried through our media landscape. The question remains: How much truth is this "puma phantom hunt" and how do we deal with the information that eleven generations of stories and myths have produced?