A sequel to Cocaine Bear may be already brewing after animal control officials in Ohio say they captured a wild African serval high on narcotics in a local neighbourhood.
The serval, a wildcat species that is widespread in sub-Saharan countries, was spotted up a tree on Jan. 28 in the Oakley neighbourhood of Cincinnati — a bit far from home. A passerby captured video of the serval which had made its way several feet up into the large tree.
At first, Chief Troy Taylor with the Hamilton County Dog Warden’s Office said he thought the feline was a savannah house cat, a hybrid cat created through cross-breeding servals and domestic house cats.
Instead, he had a very wild animal on his hands.
“These types of animals are considered dangerous. They are on the dangerous wild list for Ohio,” Taylor told WKRC.
“It sure was a sight to see and after talking to the cat expert, he said we did a great job and also pretty lucky because this cat could’ve shredded us apart and killed us,” he added.
During the capture, the serval, named Amorie, suffered a broken leg. Officials rushed him to the medical team at Cincinnati Animal Care for emergency treatment.
“He got some good pain medications,” Taylor said, adding that care staff kept a camera on him during that first night to monitor his status.
But as it turns out, Amorie may have already been on some particularly strong pain relievers. The serval’s test results showed he had been exposed to cocaine.
“Toxicology came back the animal was positive for narcotics in its system,” Taylor said. “And DNA testing came back conclusive of being an illegal serval.”
It’s unclear how the cat was exposed to the drugs.
Amorie is now well on the road to recovery at his new home at the Cincinnati Zoo, famous for once being the home of Harambe the gorilla.
“In the morning we were able to get a hold of the zoo to take over care,” Taylor said.
Amorie’s previous owner is not facing charges, even though it is illegal to own this type of species in Ohio. WKRC reported that the owner was cooperative with officials.
- Prince Harry won’t meet with King Charles during Invictus visit in London
- Canada repatriates 6 children of woman deemed security risk from ISIS camp
- Russia warns of nuclear weapon drills to ‘cool down’ West. Is it bluffing?
- Video of Ole Miss frat member making ape noises at Black protester sparks outrage
Comments