African Serval Cat Loose In Pelham

PELHAM, AL - A Pelham woman who is the owner of a domesticated African Serval cat says the animal escaped Monday evening, and has not been found.

Felicia Wilson, the owner of the cat, posted on social media that she is afraid someone might mistake her pet for a wild animal and shoot it.

The Pelham Police Department posted on Facebook that residents need to let them know if there is a sighting, and that they have experts on hand to catch the animal.

"Since our post this afternoon, we've been inundated with calls about the missing African Serval," the post said. "We would like to reiterate one thing: please call us if you SEE the animal. Calls with advice on how to capture it are not needed. We have experts aiding us in the search."

Servals are from sub-Saharan countries, and are carnivorous wild cats, but can be domesticated. There is no law against owning a Serval cat in the Pelham city limits.

Photo from Pelham PD