Italian mayor warns public after black panther sightings

Residents urged to avoid local fields and countryside as authorities in Puglia search for animal

Italian authorities are scouting an area in Puglia where locals have reported seeing a black panther on the loose.

In the last two weeks, several witnesses have spotted and filmed a large, black feline prowling around the province of Bari, near the towns of Castellana Grotte and Acquaviva delle Fonti.