Escaped serval roamed Tilburg on Sunday

An escaped serval roamed around Tilburg on Sunday. The owner and some locals launched a search for the African exotic feline and it was captive again on Sunday evening, the police confirmed to Omroep Brabant on Monday.

The serval, a wild cat from Africa recognizable by its large ears and dotted coat, escaped near Bundersestraat on Sunday while its owner was walking it. Employees of the Beekse Bergen animal park came to help with the search, and the police asked locals to keep an eye out. “It is actually a kind of wild cat, something different from an ordinary pussycat,” a police spokesperson told the broadcaster.

According to the AAP Foundation, the number of servals kept as pets increased considerably since 2020. The foundation, which takes in exotics in need, typically after the owner realizes how much effort an exotic animal is, is displeased with the increase.

Servals do not make good pets, the foundation said. They have sharp claws and teeth and, in the wild, roam areas up to 30 square kilometers. Servals belong to the African savannah, not a Dutch apartment, and they are known not to do well in captivity.

Netherlands residents won’t be allowed to keep servals as pets from next month. The approved list for exotic pets will take effect on July 1. The list contains 30 mammals that experts have determined are suitable as pets or hobby animals. The serval is not one of them.

From July 1, Netherlands residents will no longer be allowed to purchase or trade a serval. People who already have one can keep the animal until the end of its life.