Travellers to Śląsk-Opolskie beware - pumas on the loose

This should be a matter of concern to some people visiting these rural areas. This applies to cyclists too. For further information, please go to NTO.pl

mmsilesia.pl/5093/2009/4/17/puma-z-opolskiego-wreszcie-sfilmowana-wideo?category=depesze
judge for yourself if this is real. I'd say so.

Many deers have been slaughtered and sightings reported. They are crossing a broad area and are believed to be near the city of Raciborz now. Official reports say that 5 pumas were put into circulation as a result of Czech breeders who, for unknown reasons, released them.

They come pretty close to the forests that I cycled in and could easily be there now. It has made me think twice about venturing out alone although the probability of meeting one is significantly reduced if you avoid the forests where they can leap out.

Although the incidence of attacks on people is quite low, it tends to be around May time that they start attacking more and meat is meat.

Enjoy the video from the comfort of your sofa or armchair :)

Blimey!!

i think you would use something stronger than blimey if you were standing face to face with a puma LC lol...

Oh yes, but there's no way that the mods would ever let me get away with my real reaction :D

The worrying thing is that they can hit a top speed of 35mph. I could maybe get up to that on my bike but not for so long. Still, people live out in rural areas and they must have it worse, esp when they walk their dogs in those forests.

Do Catholics believe in divine intervention? ;) ;)

Ha , don,t scare me , my Tiger would see off any puny puma....Tiger , by the way is my very big tomcat , he is hard as nails , well when he is not having a cuddle...

They were planted here according to the official story. Tiger is Dariusz Michalczewski and even he'd be KO'd by a blow from a puma. I can wrestle big humans at 103kgs but these cats are sharper and unrelenting. Unlike a bear, you have to confront a puma unless you have an obvious means of escape. With a bear, you back away slowly but don't run (hard to resist that temptation tho). Ask SeanBM, I think he came close to a bear in the mountains here. I guess he mistyped it and meant beer ;) ;)

I'm gonna venture out on Monday and have a look around. Some report panther sightings too. That kinda moves me to the idea that it's a hoax. Some say black, some say beige. There are areas where you just feel that sth is lurking. I felt uneasy before I became aware of the puma stories. I was out once but wasn't wearing my glasses as it was just a quick jaunt out. Still, I saw something big in the distance but couldn't make it out. I wish I had had my glasses then.

Nooo then it would have looked bigger , and even more scarey...!

The fields and forests around here are perfect hunting grounds for them, wildrover. Without a concrete home, they will roam more freely and pick up meat along the way. They are likely to attack cyclists as moving prey will trigger their hunting instincts.

Let me know when you find some cougars on the loose.

Why would that be, you wanna wrestle them or?

Just call me bait.

Flippin eck..! As if aggressive dogs were not bad enough when you are on a bycycle...? If the puma,s come round my way i shall stick to riding the Harley , hopefully they can,t run at 100 mph..?

I'd feel much more comfortable with a big Rhodesian Ridgeback on my side :) The big cats soon back down then. Remind me where Ostrowice is, which part of Poland? You may have them there but I doubt it.

Between Drawsko pomorskie and Polczyn zdroj , in Drawski national park , bout 100 kms west of Szczecin....

East you mean? You'd be in Germany otherwise. Aha, gotcha! I've never been that far north.

So from May one needs camouflage with flowers.

Yeah, many Poles will be safe with their khaki jackets. They will just blend in with their surroundings.

And if they carry a bottle of vodka to offer to the puma,the better.

Well, I'd love to see you try ;) ;) The point is that you can't bargain with them and you can only hope to scare them off by making yourself bigger. Some even suggest running at the puma. Great armchair advice. Remind me to ignore it when I encounter one.

Yes,maybe if you ride them or block their teeth with your head,you avoid the danger.

Whatever way you look at it, they outstrip you. Try climbing a tree, LOL. Run at it and feel like a fool as it stands its ground and you dig your own grave. Wave your hands like a loony and wait for it to smack you for a KO. They even suggest you should look at its paws :) Me o my, the bravery of being out of range appears again.

Are you sure your not confusing them with cougars?

Errr yes , i mean east of course....ooops , and me an ex military man...and long distance traveller..derrrrr !

Puma in Poland

Pawian, where is the best place to get local information on this? For example, I just wanna know if there have been any warnings. I've tried the official gmina sites but they don't help.

I usually cycle out to places like Sierakowice and Rachowice and I'd like to know if locals have reported any sightings. Any help would be appreciated.

Maybe they think advertising a loose puma might put off tourists...??

From the direct source, I am afraid. You need to get in touch with the puma. :):):)

I am not joking, the animal is too clandestine for the locals to know exactly its roundabouts.

Roundabouts? Do they drive too? ;) ;) I'm interested in its whereabouts :)

there's definitely a couple of them around here

one of them was sighted from very short distant by a hunter but they don't mean to shoot it dead (shoot it asleep instead) - the animal rushed to escape - pumas are not really aggressive toward humans (at least grown-up individuals) except in some circumstances - which are not the case here ( with young, older and weak, in dire state - they would chance anything carrying meat then). Well they are gonna attack also when cornered so the hunter's association does not give many hints about sightings to the media to avoid people following the animals)