COLUMBUS, Ohio — A wild cat that was captured in Cincinnati last week tested positive for exposure to cocaine, according to Cincinnati Animal CARE.
The Hamilton County Dog Wardens responded to the Cincinnati neighborhood of Oakley on Jan. 28 after receiving reports of a “leopard” in a tree. When the team arrived, they were able to retrieve the wild cat from the tree.
After bringing the cat to Cincinnati Animal CARE’s office, the medical team called a big cat expert who worked on the Tiger King case and the Zanesville tragedy. The cat was initially believed to be a hybrid F1 Savannah, which is legal to own in Ohio, but was later confirmed to be an African serval, which is illegal.
Cincinnati Animal CARE says that the serval was taken in by a medical team to evaluate his DNA and was found to have tested positive for exposure to cocaine.
The serval’s owner was located and cooperated with the investigation, according to Cincinnati Animal CARE. The serval, named Amiry, was taken to the Cincinnati Zoo.
The Hamilton County Dog Wardens is not pursuing charges at this time, the animal care facility said.
The owner reportedly relinquished custody of the cat to Cincinnati Animal CARE before it was taken into the care of the zoo.
The Ohio Department of Agriculture is investigating the incident.
