Polish officials confirm Lower Silesia puma photo was fake following field searches

Verification of the sighting

Officials from the Wałbrzych County Office confirmed on Thursday, August 20, that a widely circulated photograph showing a puma in Lower Silesia was fake. The image, purportedly captured by a camera trap and dated August 9, was proven inauthentic following a technical review by police, foresters, and municipal representatives from Świdnica and Wałbrzych. Specialist search units, including the Forest Guard, the Forest Service, local guides, and animal welfare foundation staff, surveyed the surrounding terrain. Their inspections uncovered tracks belonging exclusively to native wildlife, finding no evidence of any feline predator. The Świdnica County Crisis Management Team subsequently cancelled the warning for the area around Zagórze Śląskie and Michałkowa.

Forestry decision and crisis response

The Świdnica Forest District had published the photo and an official warning on Tuesday, citing potential dangers near Michałkowa and Zagórze Śląskie. Head forester Jerzy Zemlik noted that the image originated from a trusted individual affiliated with an established organization. Following the publication, authorities convened a joint meeting of the municipal and county crisis management teams at the Wałbrzych County Office on Wednesday, August 19. Search teams were dispatched into the field immediately after the meeting concluded to secure the area and protect residents. Zemlik stated that he chose to issue the alert rather than risk human safety in the event of an actual predator encounter.

I had two options: not inform and risk someone getting hurt, or warn. I chose the second and take full responsibility for it.

Police investigation into the fabrication

Following the technical assessment, the Świdnica District Police began investigating the origin and distribution of the manipulated image. Aspirant Magdalena Ząbek stated that investigators are working to determine how the false information spread and are interrogating the person who submitted the file. Unsubstantiated wildlife alerts have increasingly disrupted municipal services across Poland, requiring rapid deployment of police and forestry personnel. A comparable incident occurred in Goworowo in Ostrołęka County, where a resident triggered an emergency deployment by reporting an invented puma sighting. Authorities noted that responding to hoaxes expends resources that would otherwise support legitimate public safety operations.

In the course of the activities carried out, police officers from the District Police Headquarters in Świdnica did not confirm the authenticity of the photo.

Regional alerts and captive feline context

The Lower Silesian alert was one of several big cat reports logged in Poland during August 2026. On August 7, hunters in Osiek-Wólka near Ciechanów reported sighting a large cat, prompting local crisis teams in Gołymin-Ośrodek to warn four surrounding villages. On August 13, both the Kłodzko County Office and the Zdroje Forest District released cautionary notices after separate unverified reports. In broader European terms, estimates suggest between several hundred and one thousand pumas live in private custody, frequently raising escape risks due to uneven state oversight. In the Czech Republic, twelve non-zoo facilities are officially registered to keep large feline predators. Lower Silesian authorities concluded that while the photo was a hoax, standard safety precautions remain advised when encountering wildlife.