African serval may have been caught on camera a year after escape

Oct. 24 (UPI) -- An exotic cat photographed by a wildlife camera in North Carolina might be an African serval cat that escaped from its home about a year ago, the lost feline's owner said.

A photo captured Sept. 17 in the Fuquay Varina area near Raleigh shows what appears to be an African serval cat wandering loose at night, and Brian Hankins said the feline is likely Rocky, the serval that escaped from his home in Kitty Hawk about a year ago.

"He keeps showing up on camera and video. He is a long way away, but he's trying to find his way back to the coast," Hankins told the Charlotte Observer.

Hankins said Rocky appears to be wandering within a 250-mile radius and was previously spotted in Virginia Beach. African servals are known to have large territories and can travel 10-20 miles in one day.

Hankins and experts said Rocky appears to be thriving in the wild, likely hunting and living off prey.

Michelle Meyers of the Carolina Tiger Rescue said Rocky may have gone feral after a year of wandering loose.

"If it were traveling through your yard it's probably going to try to avoid you," Meyer told WNCN-TV. "I'm sure he is doing just fine. He's in the wild somewhere just living his best life. I'd be surprised if we found him."