Authorities in Puglia have been using drones with heat-sensitive cameras to track a big black animal, believed to be a panther, owned by a mafia boss.

The animal was seen on January 15 by Nicola Chiarappa, 30, who owns a fireworks factory near San Severo.

At first Mr Chiarappa thought the beast was a dog, but changed his mind after taking a closer look. “It turned round and I saw its face. It had two sharp teeth,” he said. “Then it jumped on to the bonnet of my car and ran off. It was over very quickly.”

Some panther footprints have also been found, which vets are analyzing.

In addition, a goat was found slaughtered and a Maremma breed dog was found injured.

At the moment the panther would have already traveled about ten kilometers, according to investigations.

Origin - How does a panther end up in Puglia? Investigators speculate that a mafia boss, who would have possessed the ferocious animal as a symbol of power, may have something to do with it. The panther may have escaped from the house where she was detained, or the boss would have freed the animal for fear of an imminent police check.