Crisis Management Activated as Puma Spotted in West Pomeranian Municipality

Local authorities in Polanów have established a crisis task force after a hunter and a resident captured footage of a puma prowling near residential areas and forest zones in West Pomerania.

Documented Sightings and Behavior

A hunter reported spotting and filming a puma twice in the Polanów area. During the first encounter, the animal showed little reaction to shouting or a warning shot, suggesting it may be elderly or hard of hearing. Hours later, the creature approached the hunter’s observation stand.

Maciej Wiórek of the Regional Directorate of State Forests in Szczecinek confirmed the footage clearly depicts a puma. Following these reports, a local resident in Karsinka also photographed the animal near her gate, noting that it appeared unafraid of her dogs and showed no immediate aggression.

Emergency Response and Safety Measures

The Mayor of Polanów, Grzegorz Lipski, has officially advised residents to avoid forest areas near Karsinka and Rekowo. A municipal crisis task force has been established to locate and capture the animal, with specialized teams from Szczecin already conducting search operations.

State foresters are deploying camera traps and increasing patrols in the region to monitor the predator’s movements. Authorities have also alerted neighboring municipalities, including Bobolice, due to the proximity of the sightings to municipal borders.

Ongoing Search Operations

While the origin of the animal remains unconfirmed, residents suspect it may have escaped from a private breeding facility. Despite initial search efforts between July 8 and 9, the puma remains at large.

This incident follows similar reports from the West Pomeranian region earlier this year, when authorities in Będzino issued warnings regarding a potential puma or cheetah sighting in the Strachomin forest complex, though that animal was never located.