African serval cat caught in Macon County

MACON COUNTY, Ill. (WAND) — After weeks on the loose in Decatur, the African serval cat has been caught.

The Macon County Animal Control and Care Center shared on their Facebook page that the serval was captured between Forsyth and Maroa Saturday.

The serval was caught on private property and animal control transported it to a foster facility, where it is being cared for by experts. The cat will remain there until legal issues with the owner are solved.

"It will largely depend on [the owner]," said Sergeant Ron Atkins, the administrator of Macon County Animal Control with the Sheriff's Department. "It is against the law to have it in the city of Decatur. So I'll have to have a conversation with him and see what his intentions are."

Sergeant Atkins says when he saw the serval, it seemed to be relatively healthy and well-fed. However, it was not happy to be caught.

"It became very defensive and it leapt at our tools and our hands when we tried to touch it," said Atkins. "While it may be tame in the care of some people, I would not be comfortable having anybody that I care about around that animal with it not being restrained."

Animal Control says the animal will not be euthanized. The serval has been on the loose since the end of September, and the public was made aware near the middle of October.

Sergeant Atkins said there is a chance the serval bred with regular housecats and created a hybrid breed called a "Savannah Cat." He did encourage people in the area to keep an eye on female stray or outdoor cats that become pregnant soon to ensure they didn't breed with the serval.

This is the fourth exotic animal that Macon County Animal Control has handled this year. Sergeant Atkins says he's been involved with capturing two alligators, a scorpion, and now the serval.