Watch Ill. Police Capture Endangered Wild Cat Found Under 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.