A dead animal on the Thruway first reported to be a 150-pound leopard has been identified as a 30-pound serval cat. The slender, spotted cat, which is native to Africa, was found Aug. 23 on the eastbound lane of the Thruway near Exit 40 in Auburn.
It was turned over to the state Department of Environmental Conservation. Glenn Donnelly, who keeps 48 different exotic cats at a licensed private wildlife preserve near Weedsport, said the cat might have escaped from his place. He said servals are popular as pets and several of them have been given to him by former owners who didn't want them any more.
DEC spokesman Yancey Roy said the animal was being examined at the DEC office in Syracuse and that has some kind of tag that indicates it was a pet.
