'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
'Too young to have breast cancer': Rates among young Canadian women rising
Breast cancer rates are rising in Canada among women in their 20s, 30s and 40s, according to research by the University of Ottawa (uOttawa).
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau on navigating post-political life, co-parenting and freedom
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau says there is 'still so much love' between her and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, as they navigate their post-separation relationship co-parenting their three children.
'I was scared': Ontario man's car repossessed after missing two repair loan payments
An Ontario man who took out a loan to pay for auto repairs said his car was repossessed after he missed two payments.
Charlie Woods, son of Tiger, shoots 81 in U.S. Open qualifier
Charlie Woods failed to advance in a U.S. Open local qualifying event Thursday, shooting a 9-over 81 at Legacy Golf & Tennis Club.
Canada recognizes housing as a human right. Few provinces have followed suit
As more Canadians find themselves struggling to afford or find housing, the country's smallest province is the only one that can point to legislation recognizing housing as a human right.
Minister 'outraged' after AFN national chief's headdress taken from Air Canada cabin
The federal minister of Crown-Indigenous relations is calling on Air Canada to 'make things right' with the national chief of the Assembly of First Nations, who said her headdress was removed from an airplane cabin during a flight this week.
What to know about avian influenza in dairy cows and the risk to humans
Why is H5N1, or bird flu, a concern, how does it spread, and is there a vaccine? Here are the answers to some frequently asked questions about avian influenza.
'Violation': CSIS had officer investigated after she reported a superior raped her
A CSIS officer's allegations that she was raped repeatedly by a superior in agency vehicles set off a harassment inquiry, but also triggered an investigation into her that concluded the alleged attacks were a “misuse” of agency vehicles by the woman.
Pro-plastic lobbyist presence at UN talks is 'troubling,' say advocates
Environmentalist groups are sounding the alarm about a steep increase in the number of pro-plastic lobbyists at the UN pollution talks taking place this week.