Manhunt after ex-soldier flees with pet puma

A former soldier who refused to hand over his pet puma to a zoo went on the run with the animal, sparking a manhunt with some 200 police officers.

Following a three- day search, Kamil Stanek handed himself in to police last night after fleeing his home in Poland with his puma, Nubia, on a lead on friday.

Officials had turned up at his home to seize the animal and take it to Poznan zoo in western Poland, but mr Stanek threatened them with a knife before fleeing.

Mr Stanek had been touring Poland with Nubia and charging up to £600 for people to pet her, some animal rights groups claimed. Pictures on social media – including the one above – show him kissing and cuddling Nubia. But the head of Poznan zoo, ewa Zgrabczynska, warned: ‘It’s not a cuddly toy. It’s one of the most dangerous animals in the world and it could be a real threat to people’s lives.’

Gazeta Wyborcza newspaper said mr Stanek bought the animal six years ago in the Czech republic. Keeping pumas at home is banned in Poland.