'Tiger King' co-star Carole Baskin says exotic Vancouver pet that was mistaken for cougar is a serval
An internet debate has broken out over the exotic cat that was mistaken for a cougar this week in Vancouver – and Carole Baskin has weighed in with her opinion.
The co-star of Netflix's hit documentary "Tiger King" disputed the assessment of conservation officers, who identified the spotted feline as a savannah cat after helping police wrangle the animal on Wednesday.
The savannah is a hybrid breed that came about through cross-breeding wild servals with domestic house cats.
"You were lied to if someone told you this is a hybrid. It's a serval," Baskin wrote on Twitter Thursday, echoing the opinion of a number of other social media users.
"As someone who has rescued servals and their hybrids for 30 years, I can assure you that the only reason they are calling it a savannah is because they know there is a law against owning a serval."
Keeping a serval as a pet is illegal in many jurisdictions, but not everywhere. While the B.C. government doesn't ban the owning of servals, doing so is strongly discouraged by the SPCA.
"Native to many parts of Africa, serval cats roam savannahs and wetlands hunting for prey. They have a poor quality of life when kept as pets," the B.C. SPCA website reads.
"In the wild, servals will leap high into the air to catch flying birds, and can slap fish hard enough to stun them. They are not easily house-trained, and will frequently mark their territory with urine."
The animal welfare organization said it is "extremely challenging" to provide for a serval's nutritional and veterinary needs.
Back in 2019, the SPCA seized 13 servals, including three serval kittens, from a breeder in the B.C. Interior, alleging the animals were found in "horrific living conditions."
Vancouver's Animal Control Bylaw bans the owning of felids, such as lions and tigers, with an exception for domestic cats. CTV News has reached out to the city to confirm the bylaw applies to servals.
Video of Wednesday’s incident shows the exotic cat walking and running near Granville Street and King Edward, a busy intersection located near multiple schools.
Police said they were able to capture the cat and bring it to its home with help from conservation officers, and that there was no risk to the public.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Quebec nurse had to clean up after husband's death in Montreal hospital
On a night she should have been mourning, a nurse from Quebec's Laurentians region says she was forced to clean up her husband after he died at a hospital in Montreal.
Northern Ont. lawyer who abandoned clients in child protection cases disbarred
A North Bay, Ont., lawyer who abandoned 15 clients – many of them child protection cases – has lost his licence to practise law.
Bank of Canada officials split on when to start cutting interest rates
Members of the Bank of Canada's governing council were split on how long the central bank should wait before it starts cutting interest rates when they met earlier this month.
Maple Leafs fall to Bruins in Game 3, trail series 2-1
Brad Marchand scored twice, including the winner in the third period, and added an assist as the Boston Bruins downed the Toronto Maple Leafs 4-2 to take a 2-1 lead in their first-round playoff series Wednesday
Cuban government apologizes to Montreal-area family after delivering wrong body
Cuba's foreign affairs minister has apologized to a Montreal-area family after they were sent the wrong body following the death of a loved one.
'It was instant karma': Viral video captures failed theft attempt in Nanaimo, B.C.
Mounties in Nanaimo, B.C., say two late-night revellers are lucky their allegedly drunken antics weren't reported to police after security cameras captured the men trying to steal a heavy sign from a downtown business.
What is changing about Canada's capital gains tax and how does it impact me?
The federal government's proposed change to capital gains taxation is expected to increase taxes on investments and mainly affect wealthy Canadians and businesses. Here's what you need to know about the move.
New Indigenous loan guarantee program a 'really big deal,' Freeland says at Toronto conference
Canada's Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland was among the 1,700 delegates attending the two-day First Nations Major Projects Coalition (FNMPC) conference that concluded Tuesday in Toronto.
'Life was not fair to him': Daughter of N.B. man exonerated of murder remembers him as a kind soul
The daughter of a New Brunswick man recently exonerated from murder, is remembering her father as somebody who, despite a wrongful conviction, never became bitter or angry.