Animal control authorities in Illinois have issued a public warning regarding a serval, an exotic African cat, that is currently at large in the city of Decatur.
The Macon County Animal Control and Care Center confirmed that sightings of the serval have been reported on the northeast side of the city.
In a Facebook post, the animal control center assured the public, "We have no reason to believe the animal would attempt to harm people. However, like any wild animal, it could pose a risk in certain circumstances."
The public is urged to contact the authorities and refrain from attempting to capture the cat independently.
The serval, named Reese, originally belonged to Christopher Solomon, who explained that the cat had been residing in his apartment for approximately two weeks before escaping through an open door left ajar by a guest.
Solomon recounted, "I woke up around one o'clock in the morning, feeling very cold because the door was wide open. I was trying to figure out what had happened to my cat. But the cat was nowhere to be found. I contacted the police and Animal Control for assistance in locating him. We did manage to spot him once that night, but he vanished quickly, and unfortunately, we were unable to locate him again."
