‘Big cat’ on loose in North London after escaping from mansion on ‘Billionaires’ Row’

An armed police response team were deployed after a big cat escaped from a mansion on ‘Billionaires’ Row’ in North London on Monday night and it remains on the loose. 

They were called at 9:00pm after multiple reports from anxious residents around leafy Hampstead that a large cat was roaming around the area. 

A helicopter was dispatched and an animal expert called in who managed to visually assess the cat in a garden, one street over from affluent Bishops Avenue, which has been dubbed Billionaires’ Row, where the animal escaped from. 

Natalie Dangoor, 24, was having dinner in the garden with her mum around 8:00pm when they saw what they thought was a cat’s face in their storage area.

After stomping their foot to try scare it away it came out and they realised it looked like a cheetah.

She said: ‘It looked scared. I felt sorry for it. It came out and at that point we realised it’s not a cat. It literally looked like a Cheetah, but it was smaller.

‘It was very weird. It was scary. It kind of kept walking but it didn’t come too close.

‘We went inside and closed the door. We have a German Shepard who would have killed that kind of animal so luckily he was not outside. We also have chickens in the back garden.’ 

She added there were suspicions it belonged to a family on Bishops Avenue, a Billionaire’s row, but ‘no one really knows.’

It was not deemed to be a threat and the armed response unit stood down but the cat managed to evade capture on Winnington Road, escaping the police and animal experts.   

Many believed the animal to be a Savannah cat – a crossbreed between a Serval (an African wildcat) and domestic feline. 

But Danny Reynolds, an expert from Exmoor Zoo told MailOnline he believes it is the more dangerous Serval which could kill other domestic cats and even harm humans, despite the fact that police stated there was no threat posed by the animal. 

He said: ‘This is not a Savannah cat. It is a Serval and for the record it is obviously one of the breeding stock which would be crossed to achieve the ‘savannah’. 

‘In our opinion this highlights why people and breeders should not be allowed to be able to have these animals – it would by law require a Dangerous Wildlife license which would mean the premises would have to be inspected and licensed by the local authority and part of that licensing is to check that it cannot escape.’

Reynolds went on to warn that the animal could cause real damage, adding: ‘It is significantly large enough and strong enough to kill another cat and inflict would bites on any human that attempts to capture – regardless of it is hand reared or steady.

‘Again if it has been kept by a person then it will have less instinctive fear of people and may if hungry instigate contact. It should definitely be avoided and reported for dart gun capture by a specialist – unless the owner can be found. And if it is being kept illegally – then the owner is unlikely to come forward. All for the sake of money and a new hybrid ‘pet fad’, he said. 

The animal in question remains on the loose and there have been no reports of other sightings of the animal or attacks.  

The Metropolitan Police tweeted a summary of the situation: ‘Police were called at approximately 21:00hrs on Monday, 25 May to reports of a large cat seen in a garden in Winnington Road, N2. Officers attended the scene.

‘An animal expert also attended and visually assessed the cat; it was concluded the animal was not thought to be dangerous or a threat to the public. 

‘The cat made off from the garden; enquiries continue to locate it. No reports of attacks/ injuries to members of public.’

One local resident said: ‘Originally we were told it was a tiger or leopard – but turns out to be a Savannah cat.

‘Rumours that some of the road’s occupants have been debating whether it’s big enough for a coat or would only stretch to a jacket, are entirely untrue.’  

The Savannah is the largest domestic cat breed in the world, costing around £4000 and have tall, slim build which accounts for an appearance greater than their weight would suggest. 

Savannah’s have distinct markings and erect, pointed ears which give them an exotic appearance and can also leap up to around eight feet in the air from a standing position. 

They are legal to own as pets in the UK provided they meet certain criteria and are of an acceptable generation. 

Servals are bred with other cats to creat the Savannah and are more dangerous. They are widespread in most sub-Saharan African countries and can weigh almost 20kilos, usually preying on rodents. 

This is not the first time a big cat has been spotted on the loose in Hampstead and last year a terrified mother saw one -thought to be a Savannah – lunge at her children in their garden. 

In September, 2019, Mother-of-four Dr Neetu Nirdosh, told how she heard her son Alexander, four, and daughter Falcon, five, scream that a ‘cheetah’ had entered their garden on Saturday afternoon. 

As she peered out of the kitchen window and saw the large leopard spotted cat, ‘maternal instinct took over’ and she ran outside and desperately tried to scare it away.

Dr Nirdosh told MailOnline: ‘I popped my head to the side and I saw this big animal. It was tugging at my child’s jumper, circling them. My heart jumped out of my chest. I dived in. Maternal instinct took over.

‘I thought it was going to eat my kids. It kept opening its mouth really wide. I threw our toy horse at it. We all ran back inside and locked the door,’ she concluded.