An endangered caracal wildcat roaming Chicago's northwest suburbs has been captured

CHICAGO (CBS) – You would expect to see a caracal on a safari in central or southern Africa, but not in the northwest suburbs of Chicago.

But Hoffman Estates police said one of the exotic cats was roaming the village and the caracal had become the talk of the town.

The caracal was spotted in Hoffman Estates late last week, which not only alarmed a few neighbors but also prompted police to intervene.

At around 11:30 a.m. Tuesday morning, officials confirmed the caracal had been captured and was unharmed.

According to the Hoffman Estates Police Department, the cat was found hiding under a resident's patio and is unharmed.

Police said the Valley of the Kings Sanctuary and Retreat in Sharon, Wisconsin, was on its way to pick up the cat, where “she will live a healthy and happy life away from Hoffman Estates.”

Jan Hoffman-Rau said she was stunned when she discovered the wild cat in her backyard Friday morning.

“I thought, 'What the hell is that?' Seriously,” she said.

She immediately pulled out her phone and took a few photos, thinking no one would believe what she saw.

“Then it came on my deck, jumped on my deck and actually looked at me through the window,” she said.

The animal was later identified as a caracal, a wild cat native to Africa and Asia known for its agility and speed, but not so much for lurking in backyards in Illinois or anywhere in the United States

“It is a wild animal. I’m afraid it won’t survive out here,” Sue Gerhardt said.

This concern has prompted the Hoffman Estates Police Department to warn residents who may come into contact with the wild cat.

The village worked with local and federal authorities to find and properly remove the caracal, an internationally protected endangered species.

While the goal is to get it safely to a zoo or wildlife facility, many in the neighborhood are still asking the question: How did it get here in the first place?

“We think it's someone's pet because it can't…hunt very well,” Gerhardt said.

“I think – and Cook County Animal Control also believes – that this is someone’s illegal pet,” Hoffman-Rau said.

If this is the case, under Illinois state law, possession of an illegal caracal can result in jail time and a fine of up to $1,500 for the owner.

Although many have their theories, it is still unclear how the animal ended up in Hoffman Estates.