Dubai Police warn public after large wildcat reportedly spotted

Dubai Police urged members of the public to exercise caution after a large wildcat was reportedly spotted in The Springs community.

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A member of The Springs’ security team told Al Arabiya English that a wildcat sighting was reported on Monday along with a video that surfaced on social media appearing to show a large black cat in the garden of a villa.

Dubai Municipality was called and could not locate the animal, the security guard said.

A statement issued by Dubai Media Office on Tuesday evening said that trained professionals were still trying to locate the big cat, and that police are taking all measures to minimize potential danger to residents.

Exotic pets are common in the emirate, with big cat sightings in urban areas not unheard of.

In 2016, a pet lion escaped and wandered around the Al Barsha neighborhood for several hours before it was caught and taken to the zoo.

Keeping exotic pets was banned in the UAE in 2016, with offenders facing fines of anywhere between $2,700 and $190,580.

Police said in Tuesday’s statement that bringing any kind of wild animal into a public place is strictly prohibited.

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