African serval on the loose in Arizona

African serval on the loose in Arizona

WeirdNews

Barroga said her pet is vaccinated, chipped and declawed.

ARIZONA (Web Desk) - A woman is asking residents of an Arizona community to keep an eye out for her unusual escaped pet: An African serval.

Crystal Barroga of Nevada said her 3-year-old serval, Bagheera, escaped through a window last week in Ahwatukee Foothills, near Chandler.

"I assume she heard a bird and she tried grabbing it or getting it. She made a hole, and that's how she got out," Barroga told AZ Family.

Neighbors have spotted Bagheera wandering the area, and some initially mistook her for a bobcat. Local authorities said Bagheera is a legal pet in Arizona. Barroga said her pet is vaccinated, chipped and declawed.

"She's harmless. She's not going to eat your cats or fight your dogs. She's very loving, but she does hiss and tries to look aggressive if you come to her," Barroga said.

Barroga said she is worried for the serval's safety with coyotes in the area. "It's like losing my own child," she said in a Facebook post.