Puma viewing at the Geiseltalsee: Experts warn of confusion!

An alleged puma was sighted in the Saalekreis, which led to warnings and intensive searches. Experts discuss the animal's identity.
An alleged puma was sighted in the Saalekreis, which led to warnings and intensive searches. Experts discuss the animal's identity. (Symbolbild/NAG)

Puma viewing at the Geiseltalsee: Experts warn of confusion!

In Saxony-Anhalt there is an alarm mood: On June 13, 2025, a large, unknown animal was spotted at the Geiseltalsee, which causes confusion. The authority reached this vision on June 17, whereupon a warning message was published via the Nina app, which asks to avoid highly overgrown areas. A walker had filmed the animal with her cell phone, but the video is of poor quality and makes it difficult to determine the exact way. According to the Saalekreis expert, 80 percent certainty could be a puma, which in the public and animal welfare organizations causes concerns, since Pumas belong to the toddlers and cannot roar. Merkur reports on the increasing warnings of the authorities.

In the region around the Geiseltalsee, “between five and six” further sightings of the animal have already been reported. Patrick Müller, a political speaker of the animal welfare organization AAP, notes that pumas can be dangerous for humans, especially in confrontations. However, it is unclear whether this animal is really a puma. With the help of helicopters and thermal imaging technology, the authorities carry out systematic searches with the help of helicopters and thermal imaging to identify the animal and, if necessary, calm down. rtl describes the difficulties in identifying the animal and the associated Security risks.

The uncertainty about the animal species

New Year's Eve Tamás from the Nature Conservation Association (NABU) expresses itself skeptically to assess the expert and considers it possible that it is a big dog. He refers to the poor image quality of the video and excludes Luchse as an option because the animal has a long tail. There are currently no evidence of lynxes in the region or reports about missing big cats - the zoos in Germany have their animals complete. Tamás assumes that it could be a harmless dog if no new sightings are reported in the next two weeks. According to information, no nationwide regulation for keeping exotic wild animals as pets in the region, which opens up the possibility of a run -down animal from a private or circus. Echo24 stated that only 33 animal species in Germany banned in Germany are.

keeping exotic animals is widespread in many German households - from kangaroos to pumas. However, these exotic pets can pose considerable risks. Experts urgently warn that the needs of these animals often cannot be met, which leads to behavioral problems. You can also transfer diseases to humans. echo24 Any advice.

The situation around the sighting on the Geiseltalsee is also a reflection of a fundamental problem in Germany: the regulations for keeping wild animals are insufficient, and only about 10 % of the wild animals are registered. While the authorities are still looking for the unknown animal, the question remains the consequences of uncertainty for the everyday life of the residents.

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OrtGeiseltalsee, Sachsen-Anhalt, Deutschland
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