Plymouth’s only licensed exotic serval cat escaped this week after what the owners claimed was a "break-in".
The owners said there had been a break-in, but no report was made to the police and the cat later returned to its enclosure on its own.
The licensing authority, Plymouth City Council, was unaware of the incident until Plymouth Plus contacted them.
The moment the exotic cat was discovered by a driver on the slip road.
A spokesperson for Plymouth City Council told Plymouth Plus:
"We have one dangerous wild animal licenced in Plymouth – a serval cat – and after you contacted us, we got in touch with the owner."
According to the council, the owner told them their property was broken into during the night and that the cat was let loose due to the incident.
A spokesperson for Devon and Cornwall Police confirmed to Plymouth Plus:
"We have checked our systems and with our officers, and from what we can see, this was not reported as a burglary".
The licensing authority confirmed the serval later returned home without intervention.
“We are happy to report the cat is now safely back in its enclosure. It was a bit nervous and came back on its own accord.
"We will carry out an inspection of the property to make sure it has sufficient security and that all licence conditions are complied with.”
Although the serval returned without a cat hunt, there was at least one sighting during the night that was serious enough to trigger a 999 call to police. A police spokesperson added:
"We were notified by a member of the public that he had seen what he suspected to be a lynx near the A38 at St Budeaux at around 1.15am today, Wednesday 16 April."
Danny Bamping, founder of the British Big Cats Society and a Plymouth resident, said the story created a buzz among wildlife watchers.
“Having an exotic cat loose in Plymouth was quite exciting for the 24 hours it was free,” he said.
“Servals are wild cats from South Africa. They’re not classed as big cats because they can’t roar, but they do require a Dangerous Wild Animals Licence and proper housing.”
He said the reported sighting made perfect sense.
“The pictures and video filmed the other night made complete sense. It was only yards away from where it lives and where it returned to.”
The licensing authority has confirmed that it will be visiting the residential property to ensure that all conditions of the Dangerous Wild Animals Licence are fully met.
If Plymouth Plus had not made the initial enquiry, it is unclear how long it would have taken for the licensing authority to become aware and investigate the escape.
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