‘Large’ exotic cat on loose in Las Vegas returned to owner
A “large” exotic pet cat on the loose in Las Vegas on Wednesday prompted a police and animal control search.
The feline was out for about an hour near Jones Boulevard and Cheyenne Avenue, police said. Las Vegas resident Audrey Peterson told KLAS-TV she thought it was a leopard because it had spots.
Metro got a call just after 8:50 a.m. asking officers to head to the 5900 block of Mendoza Court, where the cat was in someone’s backyard. They called Animal Control a few minutes later to help catch the cat. It was returned to its owner.
Officers and animal control couldn’t say exactly what type of cat it was — other than to say it was “large” — or if it was dangerous. A police spokeswoman said callers often go to police first when they don’t know what to do about an animal.
The feline’s owner described the animal, named Enzuri, as a 20-pound savannah cat that is is a hybrid between a domestic cat and an African serval, according to the Associated Press.
No citation was issued, a Las Vegas spokeswoman said, and no injuries were reported.
Nevada is one of the six states that allows ownership of exotic animals. In order to legally keep them, the city must issue a wild animal permit. All monkeys, lions, ferrets and cats, besides house cats, are included on the exotic list. Owners must also follow state and federal regulations.
Police and animal control are still investigating.
Contact reporter Cassandra Taloma at ctaloma@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0391.