Panic, misinformation and jokes in Bulgaria, after the presence of an alleged panther in a park has been reported
Image with illustrative character. Source: Eric Gevaert | Dreamstime.com
Bulgaria is marked by the possibility that a large predator will be released near a provincial city, after a video and detection of fingerprints, AFP reports.
Experts told local television that sequences caught on Thursday in a park near Shumen, a city in northeastern Bulgaria, seem to show a black panther.
The feline may have escaped from a private zoo, police say, as figures in the organized crime area like to display their wealth and status by holding large felines.
According to AFP description, the video, which has aroused numerous memes in the online environment, shows a black silhouette with a long tail and comes in the context in which the fingerprints of paws have been observed.
The local police have since launched a search operation, using drones with thermal rooms, traps and bait, but so far the efforts have been in vain.
“The continuous search,” said the regional official Diyan Dimitrov, Monday, for AFP.
Hundreds of edits and images generated by artificial intelligence were distributed in the online environment. In one of the tricked images, the American star Chuck Norris appears holding the feline in the leash.
In addition, even a song about the panther appeared, which has collected over 75,000 views in 24 hours.
However, experts warned that if it is confirmed that it is a panther, the situation is a real danger.
“This is not a domestic animal, but a hunting predator,” said Gueorgui Krustev, the director of a national natural park, for the local press.
Similar stories from other countries ended with disappointment for those who hoped to see a rare beast.
For example, the police near Berlin performed a massive search after a lioness was observed – although the officials said that it was more likely to have been a wild boar.
Photo: Eric Gevaert | Dreamstime.com
