Metre-long civet cat spotted roaming at Hong Kong shopping centre
Cat seen walking back and forth on glass curtain wall supports at IFC Mall at 7am on Monday, police say
A civet cat, a species native to Hong Kong that occasionally appears in urban areas, has been spotted at a shopping centre in Central.
In an online video, the cat is seen walking back and forth on glass curtain wall supports and occasionally stretching its head out to look around.
Police said staff members at the IFC Mall reported seeing the cat measuring one metre (3.2 feet) on the premises at 7am on Monday.
Police, the Fire Services Department, the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department and the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals were called to the scene, according to the force.
The animal was caught with a net and handed over to the Kadoorie Farm and Botanic Garden in Tai Po.
The conservation department said it dispatched staff to the scene after receiving a referral from a government hotline. It said the civet cat weighed about 4kg (8.8lbs).