Overview
- A hunter in a forest near Kalenborn on the Rhineland-Palatinate–North Rhine-Westphalia border photographed a larger cat-like animal at night, but the black-and-white images do not allow a clear identification.
- Specialist trackers have been tasked with finding prints or other traces, and searches in the area continued without definitive results as of late Wednesday into Thursday.
- The municipal public order office is coordinating with regional police and nearby Rhein-Sieg-Kreis communities, and residents are urged to stay on marked paths, keep dogs leashed, avoid approaching or feeding the animal, and report sightings to 110.
- Mayor Dominik Gieler emphasized transparent communication and said there is no reason for panic, noting past German cases where suspected big cats were later identified as other animals.
- Animal-rights group Peta announced a €500 reward for information to help clarify the case and identify any potential keeper, renewing attention on private ownership of wild animals in Germany.