Investigation continues into origins of exotic cat rescued in Chicago suburb
HOFFMAN ESTATES, Ill. - After being rescued in Hoffman Estates, a young caracal is recovering at the Valley of the Kings Sanctuary in Wisconsin.
The exotic cat, now named "Kabokey," a common male name from Sudan, was found in the northwest suburb and is native to Northeast Africa, the Middle East, and Central Asia.
Kabokey arrived at his new home on Tuesday night and has shown signs of both hunger and shyness. Volunteers at the sanctuary are giving the animal space to adjust.
Lauren Walker, a volunteer at the sanctuary, explained, "They’re nocturnal, so she’ll probably be out more later. Right now, we’re kind of just letting her do her own thing until she gets used to it here."
The sanctuary has been providing Kabokey with water, beef, and chicken legs, which he quickly devoured. The young caracal, estimated to be 5 to 7 months old, still has baby teeth and appears to be traumatized from his ordeal. It took two hours to tranquilize and safely transport him to a cage.
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Experts, including Dave Bernier, general curator at the Lincoln Park Zoo, have weighed in on the situation. Bernier explained that domestication has likely altered the caracal’s natural instincts.
"This cat may not understand what another caracal is and wouldn’t have the opportunities to breed or reproduce. It’s kind of lost all those opportunities and now it relies 100% on humans to care for it for the rest of his life," he said.
It is still unclear how the caracal ended up in Hoffman Estates. Police in the area are continuing their investigation but have no leads as of yet. They are reviewing video footage and canvassing the area, hoping to find information that could reveal the animal’s origins.
Authorities are also asking the public to come forward with any relevant information if they saw anything unusual related to the wild cat.