The National Zoo has stopped looking for its missing bobcat

(Image credit: iStock)

The National Zoo in Washington, D.C., has suspended its search for Ollie the bobcat after she escaped from her enclosure early Monday, The Washington Post reports. "I don't mean to be pessimistic at all but, we're looking for a cat who could literally be sitting in a tree right next to us," said the zoo's great cats curator, Craig Saffoe, at a press conference.

Ollie weighs 25 pounds but poses no danger to the public, experts say — in fact, bobcats are native to the area. She might eat your small pet dog, though.

Many people have found inspiration in Ollie's great escape:

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Runaway llamas and blimps have also stirred the public to root for their freedom — but until Ollie, all have been recaptured. Jeva Lange

Update 4:54 p.m. ET: The National Zoo announced on Twitter on Wednesday afternoon that Ollie was found on zoo property. No word on what she was up to during her two days of freedom.

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Jeva Lange was the executive editor at TheWeek.com. She formerly served as The Week's deputy editor and culture critic. She is also a contributor to Screen Slate, and her writing has appeared in The New York Daily News, The Awl, Vice, and Gothamist, among other publications. Jeva lives in New York City. Follow her on Twitter.