Young puma captured in Polanów after roaming near homes; quarantine begins at Poznań Zoo, origin still a mystery

A wild puma that had been wandering through forests and near homes in the West Pomeranian region of Poland was captured safely on the evening of Sunday, 12 July. The operation concluded days of growing concern and a coordinated effort by local authorities, wildlife experts, and a hunter who first spotted the animal. The young female is now under veterinary observation at the Poznań Zoo, though her ultimate destination remains undecided.

The initial sightings and community alert

The first encounter was on 7 July, when a hunter spotted the animal in the woods near the villages of Karsinka and Rekowo. He recorded it on video, shouting to scare it off and firing a warning shot. The animal was not overtly aggressive but showed little fear. A day later, on 8 July, a resident of Karsinka named Monika found the puma standing calmly outside her gate while her dogs barked.

She wasn't afraid at all. She just stood there. I tried to shoo her away, but she was completely unafraid.

In response, the Polanów municipality activated a crisis team and issued a public warning urging residents to stay out of nearby forests due to potential danger. They also consulted scientists from the Polish Academy of Sciences' Mammal Research Institute to confirm the animal was indeed a puma.

The capture operation

A specialist firm from Szczecin was brought in to coordinate the capture, working alongside state foresters who set up photo-traps and increased patrols. Bait stations were placed in the forest around Karsinka. The break came on the afternoon of 12 July, around 16:00-17:00, when the puma returned to the area where it had been seen before.

Katarzyna Lesner, head of the 'Larus' foundation, spotted the animal hidden in tall grass and alerted the team. The puma was then struck by a sedative dart. Lesner said that the animal was not emaciated and was in good overall condition. It was transported to the foundation's temporary wildlife rehabilitation center.

She was sleeping under sedation. Veterinarians assessed her condition as good. Around 3 a.m. she started to wake up without any problems, and by morning she was on her feet.

Quarantine in Poznań, not a final home

On the morning of 13 July, the puma was marked with a microchip and transferred to the Poznań Zoo. While Polanów's mayor Grzegorz Lipski initially stated the zoo would be the animal's permanent home, Remigiusz Koziński, the head of the New Zoo, later clarified its role. He confirmed the puma is only there for a mandatory period of quarantine and veterinary examination, supervised by the County Veterinary Inspectorate.

The zoo in Poznań will definitely not be the final home for this animal.

The puma will not be made available for public viewing. Its ultimate fate will be decided by the Central Animal Shelter.

An uncertain origin

The puma is a species native to the Americas, not Europe. How it ended up in the Polish forest is still a mystery. Authorities have received no reports of an escape from a zoo or private collection. One theory connects this young female to an adult puma captured by a photo-trap in the nearby Będzino municipality in 2025, about 40 kilometers away.

Prof. Rafał Kowalczyk, an expert on large mammals, analyzed the early video footage and estimated the captured animal was several months old, certainly under a year, based on its distinctive juvenile coat markings. He noted that while similar in species, it is not the same adult individual seen in 2025.

It could be an escapee from some breeding facility. It's hard to say anything for certain at this moment.

He suggested that the behavior seen in the videos, a mix of curiosity and caution around humans, is typical for a young, inexperienced cougar.