Police deploy helicopter and drones in search for suspected puma near Munich Airport
Police units equipped with thermal imaging drones, sniffer dogs and a helicopter are searching a nature reserve near Munich Airport after a local hunter reported capturing footage of what may be a puma on his night-vision wildlife camera.
The alleged sighting occurred on Tuesday evening near Oberding in the district of Erding, where almost half of Munich Airport's area, including both terminals, falls within the municipality's bounds. The Erding district office confirmed a "big cat sighting" and issued warnings advising local residents to exercise caution.
At a press conference on Thursday, a spokeswoman for the district office emphasized that authorities could not yet confirm whether the animal was indeed a puma or another species entirely. The thermal imaging footage is being analyzed in cooperation with experts from zoos and environmental authorities.
District hunting chief Thomas Schreder told the German Press Agency that after examining the footage, he was fairly certain the animal was not a native wildcat such as a lynx. However, confirming the species has proven challenging.
Search efforts intensify despite false leads
Police searches conducted Wednesday evening using drones and a helicopter yielded no results. Authorities reported receiving approximately 30 tips overnight, of which they are seriously investigating four. However, they also complained about receiving numerous AI-generated fake images that hindered their work.
One lead from a security guard who reported seeing something suspicious in surveillance footage turned out to be a house cat after further investigation. Erding's police chief expressed frustration at the press conference about the fake submissions slowing down the search operation.
Pumas not native to Europe
The puma, also known as a cougar, mountain lion or panther, is not native to Germany or Europe. The species has the largest geographic range of any native terrestrial mammal in the Western Hemisphere, spanning 23 countries from British Columbia in Canada through Central and South America to the southern tip of Chile.
Adult male pumas can weigh up to 100 kilograms and measure up to 1.5 meters in body length, with distinctive tan, reddish-brown or silvery-grey coats. As solitary, territorial animals, pumas require large home ranges averaging from 50 to 1,031 square kilometers, with males typically claiming territories twice the size of females.
While some pumas live in zoos throughout the region, authorities have received no reports from possible owners about an escaped animal. Bavaria maintains strict laws prohibiting private ownership of big cats and other wild animals, with permits reserved almost exclusively for licensed zoos, wildlife sanctuaries and research institutions. Germany's Federal Nature Conservation Act prohibits ownership of protected species, though enforcement of exotic animal regulations varies across federal states.
In neighboring Baden-Württemberg, for example, there is no law explicitly banning big cat ownership as long as welfare and spatial care standards are met.
Pattern of big cat sightings in Germany
This incident follows a similar search in June 2025, when police combed the area around Geiseltalsee in Saxony-Anhalt after video footage circulated on social media showing a large cat. Experts confirmed that video was not a fake and possibly showed a puma.
The most notable precedent occurred in July 2023 near Berlin, when over 100 police officers searched Kleinmachnow for approximately 30 hours after reports of a lioness. Two independent wildlife experts, including one from South Africa, analyzed the video footage from that incident and concluded it was not a lioness based on the animal's body structure, including its rounded back, short drooping tail and elongated head. The search was eventually called off after experts determined the animal was likely a wild boar.
A puma was discovered in Bavaria in 2022, though that animal was found in a wooden crate inside a car. The puma was nursed back to health and subsequently relocated to Austria.
For now, residents in the Erding region have been advised to remain alert and keep dogs on leashes while police continue their search. Whether the animal turns out to be a genuine puma or merely a case of mistaken identity remains to be determined.
