As media began to report on September 1, a puma (Puma concolor) has been running freely near Trnava and last week and scared inhabitants of Bíňovce, Smolenice and other municipalities in the Trnava region, with the mayor of Smolenice warning local residents to be wary, the SITA newswire reported.
The Nový čas daily wrote on September 5 that the wandering puma does not seem to be dangerous or aggressive and that local residents were only warned to avoid close eye contact with the animal.
The State Veterinary and Food Administration asked the owner to contact it, promising immunity from prosecution – as the animal had probably been bred illegally – and said it hoped the animal was accustomed to its owner and would respond to its name being called. Hunters have tried to catch the animal without success.
Source: SITA, Nový čas
Compiled by Zuzana Vilikovská from press reports
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