CHICAGO (CBS) — A caracal is something you would expect on a safari in central or southern Africa, not in the northwest suburbs of Chicago.
But Hoffman Estates police said one of the exotic cats was roaming the village and the caracal has become the talk of the town.
The caracal was spotted in Hoffman Estates late last week, which not only startled some neighbors but also prompted police to intervene.
Around 11:30 am on Tuesday morning, officials confirmed that the caracal had been captured and is unharmed.
According to Hoffman Estates police, the cat was found under a resident’s patio and is unharmed.
Police said the Valley of the Kings Sanctuary and Retreat, located in Sharon, Wisconsin, is on its way to pick up the cat, where “he will live a healthy and happy life away from Hoffman Estates.”
Jan Hofman-Rau
Jan Hoffman-Rau said she was stunned to see the feral cat hanging out in her backyard Friday morning.
“I thought, ‘What the hell is that?’ Seriously,” she said.
She immediately grabbed her phone and took a few pictures, thinking no one would believe what she saw.
“Then it started coming onto my deck, jumped onto my deck and looked at me through the window,” she said.
The animal was later identified as a caracal, a wild cat native to Africa and Asia – known for its agility and speed, but not so much for lurking in backyards in Illinois or anywhere in the US.
‘It’s a wild animal. I’m afraid it won’t survive here,” Sue Gerhardt said.
That concern has led Hoffman Estates police to issue a warning to residents who may come into contact with the feral cat.
The village worked with local and federal agencies to find and properly remove the caracal, an internationally protected endangered species.
While the goal is to safely relocate the animal to a zoo or nature reserve, the question many in the area still have is: How did it get here in the first place?
“We think it’s someone’s pet because it doesn’t hunt very well,” Gerhardt said.
“I think – and Cook County Animal Control thinks so too – that this is someone’s illegal pet,” Hoffman-Rau said.
If so, under Illinois state law, possessing an illegal caracal could land its owner in jail, along with a fine of up to $1,500.
While many have their theories, it is still unclear how the animal ended up at Hoffman Estates.
