Two large cats were spotted traipsing through a ritzy residential community in North Baltimore Friday morning.
Animal Control was alerted to the situation around 8:15 a.m. when someone called its 311 number, describing a large and possibly wild cat on the loose around the 2400 block of Eutaw Place in the Reservoir Hill area, said Victoria Minka, a Baltimore City Health Department spokesperson.
Officers responded and discovered the animal, which they believe was a serval type cat, Minka said. The wild cats are native to the African savannah area and are usually medium-sized and sport tawny and black spots on their coats.
After capturing the first cat in an alley using food and a catch pole, animal control officers were informed a second cat was loose. Officers weren’t able to locate that cat, Minka said. The department got in contact with the owner who said he recaptured it and that the cat is now back in his home.
Animal Control is investigating the case, Minka said, as private ownership of wild or hybrid cats is prohibited in the city.
The captured cat is in good health, Minka said, and will be transferred to a licensed rescue or local zoo. It is unclear what the fate of the second cat will be.
Serval cats usually live in savannah habitats and have long necks and legs that allow them to see over the long grasses, according to the African Wildlife Foundation. The carnivorous creatures eat rodents, birds, reptiles, frogs and insects, according to the foundation, and usually weigh about 19 to 40 pounds.
Owning large wild cats is illegal in many states, including Maryland.
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