Escaped pet serval cat dies after capture in Chicago suburb, police say

Vernon Hills police said it had received a report of a bobcat in the Grosse Pointe neighborhood Saturday night, but it turned out to be a resident's pet serval cat

An African serval cat that escaped from its Illinois home over the weekend has died from injuries it sustained after being recaptured in a Chicago suburb, police said Monday.

Vernon Hills police originally urged caution over the weekend for a “possible bobcat sighting” after the department received a report of a bobcat in the Grosse Pointe neighborhood Saturday night.

“Please watch your pets, especially at night,” the department wrote on social media.

Residents reported encountering the animal, with at least one person saying it was “about as big as my 75-lb. [pit bull].”

Police said they arrived and saw the animal before they “began tracking it” and “attempting to identify its species.”

They contacted the Illinois Department of Natural Resources with an image and experts identified the animal as a serval, a wild cat native to Africa.

A short time later, officers found the cat’s owners, who were out looking for the lost animal.

“The owner was located and assisted with its capture,” the department wrote on social media.

In total the animal was on the loose for nearly three hours before it was captured.

But Deputy Chief Shannon Holubetz, with the Vernon Hills Police Department, confirmed to NBC Chicago Monday morning, that the cat “died due to injuries sustained as its owners attempted to transport it home.”

In a release later Monday, police said the owners were attempting to transfer the cat from a vehicle to its enclosure when it “sustained injuries” that ultimately resulted in its death.

“This is an unfortunate incident, and we extend our condolences to the animal’s owners for their loss,” Vernon Hills Police Chief Patrick L. Kreis said in a statement. “The keeping of exotic pets in suburban environments, though, is not without risk. We are fortunate that no nearby residents or pets were injured by this naturally predatory animal.”

According to the Illinois Department of Natural Resources and the Illinois Department of Agriculture, possession of servals is not illegal in Illinois, but the sale of such cats is banned.

“Vernon Hills officials have stated they will review local regulations on the keeping of similar animals to determine if changes are advisable moving forward,” police said in their release.