Copter joins hunt for Beast of Billionaires’ Row
A BIG cat dubbed the “Beast of Billionaires’ Row” savaged a kitten and may be staying alive by feeding on tycoons’ pets in one of London’s most-exclusive roads.
One believes the animal has been terrorising the neighbourhood for eight months and is probably living in an empty mansion.
But police, who deployed armed officers and a helicopter to try to track down the big cat earlier this week, have scaled down their search, saying the animal poses “no danger” to the public.
Kate Blackmore, who lives nearby, suspects the Savannah hybrid is a stray whose owner got exhausted with its “hyperactive” personality.
Kate, 35, who owns two Bengal cats, believes the big beast is likely to be staying in derelict mansions on The Bishops Avenue, Hampstead, north London, dubbed “Billionaires’ Row”.
Extremely rare first generation Savannah hybrids – a crossbreed with a domestic cat and a serval – can sell for £5,000 and require a special licence.
Hyperactive
Second and third generations do not require a licence and have gained in popularity.
Police say the search was called off after making a “visual assessment”, saying the animal is not a threat to the public.
But Kate, who took pictures of the cat, said: “This Savannah cat has been missing since September.
“We have had 10 visits from the Savannah cat. It scared one of my kittens away. That was three months ago.
“Eight weeks later the kitten was found dead on the road. I have been looking for the Savannah cat for months now.
It’s terrorising the neighbourhood.”
She added: “They’re really hyperactive and they will jump. The height they can jump is insane.”
Animesh Misra, 20, who lives on The Bishops Avenue, said: “We don’t know who it belongs to, but it must belong to someone. It must be someone’s pet.
“Hopefully it returns to his owner soon. But it’s crazy.”
A Met Police spokesman said: “An animal expert visually assessed the cat. The expert opinion was that this animal was not dangerous and not a threat to the public.
“Police have not been able to trace the cat’s owner at this time.”