At the end of January, she ran away from the owner
In the United States, an African wild cat – a serval named Emiri will be settled in the Cincinnati Zoo, writes AP News. In late January, the animal jumped out of its owner’s car window, climbed a tree, and broke its leg. Rescuers who arrived at the scene took the cat to a veterinary clinic, where she was tested for drugs – it showed that there was cocaine in the animal’s blood. The story spread on social networks, after which the pet was nicknamed “cocaine cat”.
What else is known:
Ray Anderson, director of the Cincinnati Animal Shelter, says drug testing is standard practice for examining exotic animals. It was introduced after methamphetamine was found in the blood of a capuchin monkey named Neo in 2022.
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Anderson also stressed that more and more people are getting servals as pets. However, as Julie Sheldon, clinical assistant professor of animal medicine at the University of Tennessee, noted, the African wild cat requires a balanced diet and specialized care, which is difficult to implement at home.
“Instead of trying to keep a wild animal as a pet, you can save a lot of money and get a truly domestic cat from an animal shelter,” added Ray Anderson.
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About the serval:
The serval is a predatory mammal that lives in northern Africa. In the wild, African cats feed on small animals, particularly rodents. However, servals are often kept in zoos because of their exotic appearance. However, the keeping of such animals at home in many countries is considered illegal.
