Suspected African serval cat captured in Florida

Dec. 3 (UPI) -- A suspected African serval was captured in Florida, and officials are working to positively identify the feline's species and determine its origins.

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission said the large cat was spotted in the St. Johns Water Management District, near Palm Bay, and the animal was tranquilized and placed in the care of a licensed specialist in south Florida.

FWC spokesman Chad Weber said officials are now attempting to determine whether the animal is a serval or another species such as a Savannah cat, which is a hybrid of a serval and a domesticated cat.

Weber said officials are also looking into whether the feline escaped from a properly licensed owner or whether it was an illegally kept exotic pet. Neighbors suggested the captured animal could be a Savannah cat reported missing by a Merritt Island woman in November.