Rare Leopard Stolen in Carjacking

A Russian carjacking turned into a catjacking when the SUV's cargo included a rare leopard.

"We had been driving all night with the leopard in a travel cage. The plan was to take her to the vet. The driver was fiddling with the cage when two men jumped into the vehicle and threw us out. My suspicion is the theft was done to order," owner Mikhail Barakin told Britain's The Guardian.

Barakin, who heads a private television station in Saint Petersburg, was grooming the wild cat to star in TV commercials. He said the one-month-old cub -- a rare Amur Leopard -- is tame, but she's also highly endangered: There are less than 45 left on Russia's eastern border.

Barakin says the thieves can keep the car -- all he wants is his leopard back. He is offering a $150,000 reward for her safe return.

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Tags: asian-leopard-cat, leopard, russia, stolen