Watch Ill. Police Capture Endangered Wild Cat Found Under Porch

Oct. 15, 2024
After reports came in of an unusual animal prowling a Chicago suburb, Hoffman Estates police located and safely captured an endangered caracal that was discovered under a home's porch.

Illinois police apprehended an elusive character of a different kind when they captured a rare wild cat on the loose Tuesday.

Earlier in the week, Hoffman Estates police had issued an alert to the public that they were searching for a caracal, WLS-TV reports. The animal is native to Africa, Asia and the Middle East, and it is endangered and nearly extinct in some of those areas.

By Tuesday, police were finally able to locate the cat, which appeared to be hiding under a home's porch. Officers used an animal control pole to lasso the caracal and put it safely in a cage.

In a social media post, the department said the caracal was headed to The Valley of the Kings Sanctuary and Retreat in Wisconsin. It's unclear where the cat had come from.

About the Author

Joe Vince

Joining Endeavor Business Media in 2018, Joe has worked on the company's city services publications. He began working at OFFICER.com as the assistant editor. Before starting at Endeavor, Joe had worked for a variety of print and online news outlets, including the Indianapolis Star, the South Bend Tribune, Reddit and Patch.com.

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