Escaped serval cat spotted roaming Plymouth streets

A serval cat which was spotted roaming city streets after getting out during a suspected break-in at its owner’s property has returned home.

Plymouth City Council said it received a call about a possible sighting of a large cat in the city.

The council said officers contacted the cat’s owner, who is the only person in the city with a licence to keep a dangerous wild animal, who told them the animal had got out during a break-in.

A spokesperson for the council said the cat had since returned safely to its enclosure.

“It was a bit nervous and came back on its own accord,” the council spokesperson added.

“But we will carry out an inspection of the property to make sure it has sufficient security and all licence conditions are complied with.”

Serval cats are native to savannahs and wetlands in Africa and are listed as “least concern” on the International Union for Conservation of Nature’s red list of endangered species.