African cat taken from animal refuge remains missing, SC cops say. Arrest made

An arrest has been made in the theft of an African serval from a South Carolina animal sanctuary, but the cat remains missing, according to the Anderson County Sheriff’s Office.

The serval was taken from Izzy’s Pond refuge in Liberty, a nonprofit that provides “lifetime sanctuary” for surrendered animals that can’t be released into the wild.

Serval cats are native to Africa’s savannahs and reach about 40 pounds, experts say. They can be kept as pets in some states, but are known to “exhibit hunting and territorial instincts that can pose dangers to humans and other pets,” Carolina Tiger Rescue reports.

“Investigators with the Animal Control Unit charged (a 20-year-old ... former Izzy’s Pond employee with grand larceny after he snatched the wildcat overnight on July 10th,” the sheriff’s office said in a Aug. 7 news release.

“The Serval cat named ‘CJ’ has yet to be recovered and investigators believe she may be out of county or even the state at this point. ... Several individuals may have knowledge about the ‘CJ’s whereabouts.”

Investigators did not reveal how a suspect was linked to the missing cat. The arrest was made Aug. 2, officials said.

Tips on the cat’s whereabouts are being sought at 864-260-4400 or dlmcqueen@andersonsheriff.com.