A woman saw a "big cat" near her house, which actually turned out to be a wild animal (3 photos + 1 video)

The caracal is an extremely rare guest in the state of Illinois, and in the United States in general. These animals are mainly found in Africa and Asia, and are also under international protection.





Animal control officers caught a wild caracal cat that had been wandering around a Chicago suburb for the past few days and seriously scared a woman who had spotted it near her home the day before.



"My first thought was, 'What the hell is this?' The big cat was wild. It was like he freaked out when he got into the cage. He obviously didn't like being in there," Jan Hoffman-Rau said after the exotic cat was pulled out from under her deck Tuesday morning.

By the way, the caracal is an extremely rare guest in Illinois, and in the United States in general. These animals are mainly found in Africa and Asia, and are also under international protection.

"Animal control wanted to use a tranquilizer, but it wasn't strong enough to knock him out right away. We had to wait about seven to eight minutes," Hoffman-Rau added.



The animal, which is considered dangerous to people, is currently in the custody of animal control. Police are looking for information about its origin. "We think it's someone's pet because it can't hunt," police said.

According to state law, anyone who illegally holds wild animals can be fined up to $1,500 and even jail time.

As for Hoffman-Rau, she is happy that it is over. According to the woman, this is the most resonant event that has happened in her area in a very long time.

The wild cat will later be transported to a sanctuary in Wisconsin, where he will live. "We are confident that he will have a happy life away from the Hoffman estate," police wrote on social media.