STAFFORD TOWNSHIP, N.J. (AP) -- A pet bobcat that has repeatedly escaped from its owner's southern New Jersey home is again on the loose.

Rocky the bobcat at Popcorn Park Zoo
Rocky the bobcat at Popcorn Park Zoo (Popcorn Park Zoo)
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The Asbury Park Press reports Rocky went missing from Ginny Fine's home in Stafford Township on Tuesday morning.

Animal control officials spotted the 38-pound bobcat later in the day but couldn't catch it before it ran off into a wooded area.

The wayward pet has been the subject of an ongoing legal fight between Fine and town officials because of its repeated escapes. If it is caught, it will be taken to a local zoo.

Authorities say Fine was cited for allowing Rocky to run at large and is due in municipal court on Dec. 5.

Fine can't be reached for comment by telephone. She has said Rocky is a hybrid of a bobcat and Maine coon cat.

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