Magdeburg, Germany, June 17, (dpa/GNA) – German authorities are searching for a big cat, after a video emerged of a sighting in eastern Germany.
A spokeswoman for the Saale district in the state of Saxony-Anhalt, said further talks are due on Tuesday to coordinate the search.
The district informed the public on Monday evening via a warning app that a big cat, a term that refers to large predators such as tigers, leopard, or lions – was spotted at Lake Gieseltal, near Leipzig.
It is unclear what species the feline could be, with authorities perplexed as there is no zoo nearby.
Residents have been told not to approach the animal under any circumstances, or to enter local meadows and forests.
A video of the animal was previously posted on social media.
The spokeswoman said that authorities are sure the video is not a fake.
A similar incident in northern Germany involving an alleged sighting of an alligator, was revealed to be a fake on Monday.
Lake Geiseltal, a flooded open-cast lignite mine, is one of the largest artificial lakes in Germany.
GNA