Exotic Carnivore Sighted Loose in Illinois

No, you weren’t seeing things. That wasn’t someone’s fat cat with sweet hair. That was an exotic feline roaming around the northwest suburb of Chicago in recent days.

Police say the endangered cat is roaming the area and that citizens should not approach it or attempt to feed it. Caracals are native to Africa and the Middle East, not Illinois. Male Caracals typically weigh twenty to forty pounds.

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It is believed that it is/was someone’s pet, but even domesticated cats can have predatorial tendencies.

Earlier this year the Illinois House of Reps passed a bill (4446) that would make it illegal to own Caracals (and also Servals, Wallabies, and Kangaroos) in the state. The bill has not been passed by the state senate or signed by the Governor. Other states do allow Caracal ownership.

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If you happen to witness the Caracal you are encouraged to call 911.

Hoffman Estates authorities say they plan to relocate the Caracal to a zoo or wildlife facility.

LOOK: Here are the pets banned in each state

Because the regulation of exotic animals is left to states, some organizations, including The Humane Society of the United States, advocate for federal, standardized legislation that would ban owning large cats, bears, primates, and large poisonous snakes as pets.

Read on to see which pets are banned in your home state, as well as across the nation.

Gallery Credit: Elena Kadvany