Puma possibly spotted in Poland's Ciechanów district, residents warned to stay out of forests
Authorities in Poland's Ciechanów district warned residents on 10 August 2026 to stay out of forests after hunters reported spotting a large cat, possibly a puma, near the village of Osiek-Wólka three days earlier.
Sighting and evidence
On 7 August 2026, hunters from a local hunting club spotted a large cat near the village of Osiek-Wólka in the Ciechanów district of Mazowieckie province. Nadleśniczy Tomasz Dróżdż of Nadleśnictwo Ciechanów told PAP that one of the hunters, a retired veterinarian and employee of SGGW, observed the animal through a thermal imaging device. The witness described an animal with a long, curled tail and a body roughly the size of a young wild boar in its second year of life. After receiving the report, foresters sent workers to search the area. Near a puddle, fresh after rain, they found a paw print consistent with a large cat, possibly a puma. The animal was also detected by a thermal camera. The sighting was not reported to municipal authorities until Monday 10 August at approximately 8:00 AM, when Nadleśnictwo Ciechanów contacted the gmina Gołymin-Ośrodek.
Official warnings
On 10 August, both the Gminny Zespół Zarządzania Kryzysowego in Gołymin-Ośrodek and the Powiatowe Centrum Zarządzania Kryzysowego in Ciechanowie issued public warnings. Residents of four villages, Osiek-Wólka, Osiek-Aleksandrowo, Osiek Górny, and Stare Garnowo, were urged to exercise particular caution, avoid entering forests and wooded areas, and keep children under close supervision. The Powiatowe Centrum stated that anyone spotting the animal should not approach, attempt to capture, or chase it away, and should immediately contact emergency services by calling 112. Sekretarz gminy Anna Augustyniak told TVN24 that the warning was especially important during the holiday season.
Given that it is holiday season, many children spend their free time, go mushroom picking, pick berries, so we appeal to parents here to stay alert, observe their surroundings, not enter the forest and wooded areas
Monitoring and next steps
The area is being monitored by forest services. Three camera traps have been ordered to help confirm the animal's presence. According to Nadleśnictwo Ciechanów, a puma can travel between 20 and 30 kilometres per day. If the animal's presence is confirmed, authorities plan to hire a specialist firm to capture it. Nadleśniczy Dróżdż stressed that if located, the animal will be sedated with a tranquilising agent, not shot. The municipality also consulted the Warsaw Zoo, whose specialists confirmed that pumas are capable of covering very large distances. Krzysztof Sosnowski from the Centrum Zarządzania Kryzysowego in gmina Gołymin-Ośrodek told Fakt that the signal about the animal reached the office only on Monday morning, although the hunters' observation had taken place several days earlier.
- Hunters spot large cat near Osiek-Wólka through thermal imaging device
- Nadleśnictwo Ciechanów informs gmina Gołymin-Ośrodek about the sighting
- Gminny and Powiatowy Zespół Zarządzania Kryzysowego issue public warnings to residents
- Three camera traps ordered; area placed under monitoring
Origin unknown
No information has emerged about how a puma, a species native to the Americas, could have appeared in central Poland. Authorities checked whether any animal had escaped from a zoo or private breeding facility, but no reports of a missing puma have been filed. The Fakt report also noted that a similar predator was said to have been chasing roe deer near the locality of Ciemniewko in the same district. Residents were additionally advised to avoid tall cornfields where the animal could hide.
