<p class="title">It appears to be France's most coveted cat: A black panther rescued from rooftops near the northern city of Lille last week has been stolen from the zoo where it was taken after capture, officials said.</p>.<p class="bodytext">The feline was seized overnight from the zoo in Maubeuge near the Belgian border, the city's mayor, Arnaud Decagny, told AFP on Tuesday.</p>.<p class="bodytext">"This animal was the only target," Decagny said, adding that "considerable efforts" were made to force locks and avoid security systems.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Zoo personnel are worried about the young panther's health, "which is rather delicate because he lacks strength," the mayor added, saying the animal was just a few months old and weighed between 25 and 30 kilogrammes (55-66 pounds).</p>.<p class="bodytext">The panther was going to be transferred to a centre specialised in rehabilitating wild animals that had been domesticated.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Firefighters caught the cat last Wednesday as it roamed rooftops in Armentieres after escaping through the window of a private apartment believed to have been its home.</p>.<p class="bodytext">The panther's owner is thought to have escaped through the same window, for fear of being charged with illegally harbouring a wild animal.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Police have not located the fugitive owner, who could face charges of endangering the public, which is punishable by up to a year in prison and 15,000 euros ($16,500) in fines, Decagny said.</p>
<p class="title">It appears to be France's most coveted cat: A black panther rescued from rooftops near the northern city of Lille last week has been stolen from the zoo where it was taken after capture, officials said.</p>.<p class="bodytext">The feline was seized overnight from the zoo in Maubeuge near the Belgian border, the city's mayor, Arnaud Decagny, told AFP on Tuesday.</p>.<p class="bodytext">"This animal was the only target," Decagny said, adding that "considerable efforts" were made to force locks and avoid security systems.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Zoo personnel are worried about the young panther's health, "which is rather delicate because he lacks strength," the mayor added, saying the animal was just a few months old and weighed between 25 and 30 kilogrammes (55-66 pounds).</p>.<p class="bodytext">The panther was going to be transferred to a centre specialised in rehabilitating wild animals that had been domesticated.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Firefighters caught the cat last Wednesday as it roamed rooftops in Armentieres after escaping through the window of a private apartment believed to have been its home.</p>.<p class="bodytext">The panther's owner is thought to have escaped through the same window, for fear of being charged with illegally harbouring a wild animal.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Police have not located the fugitive owner, who could face charges of endangering the public, which is punishable by up to a year in prison and 15,000 euros ($16,500) in fines, Decagny said.</p>