Authorities in Romania's Giurgiu County are actively investigating reports about a possible sighting of a wild animal, believed to be a black panther that recently went missing from Bulgaria. Police and gendarmerie teams have launched checks in response to two separate alerts received through the emergency number 112.

According to a statement from the Giurgiu County Police Inspectorate, the first report came on June 29 at 3:55 p.m., when a man alerted authorities that he had discovered what appeared to be traces of a large wild animal near the village of Puieni. The caller suggested that the tracks might belong to the panther known to have escaped in Bulgaria. Police teams were dispatched to the scene, but no animal was located. Investigations in the area remained ongoing.

Later that night, another 112 call was received - this time indicating that the animal had allegedly been sighted near the Istru neighborhood in the city of Giurgiu. Officers responded to the second location and expanded their search, though again, no direct encounter with the animal was confirmed.

Romanian news outlets have picked up on the story, pointing out that Bulgarian authorities have already been searching for the escaped black panther for over a week. The animal's presence across the border has heightened concern, especially as no official capture or containment has been reported so far.

In Bulgaria, meanwhile, the search continues. Most recently, authorities received a tip that the elusive predator may have been seen near the town of Lovech, prompting additional efforts to track the animal’s whereabouts.