Louisiana firefighters find feline native to sub-Saharan Africa while responding to house fire
Summary
Firefighters in Marrero, Louisiana, found an African serval, a wild cat from sub-Saharan Africa, kept illegally in a small backyard enclosure while responding to a house fire. Animal welfare workers took the serval to a care facility to find it a better home.Key Facts
- The serval was found in a cramped fenced enclosure behind a home in Marrero, near New Orleans.
- The homeowner did not have the required exotic animal permit to keep the serval.
- Animal welfare officials safely captured the serval and moved it to a local animal protection facility.
- Servals are wild cats known for jumping up to 7 feet in the air and are originally from African grasslands.
- Although servals share some cat-like behaviors, they do not adapt well to living as pets and can cause damage and stress without proper care.
- The welfare agency is seeking a suitable place for the serval, possibly a zoo, but no final decision has been made yet.
- Servals have been increasingly popular as exotic pets, partly due to social media videos.
- Previous serval-related incidents in the U.S. have drawn public attention, including one that tested positive for cocaine and another animal that was fatally hit by a vehicle.
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