Could there be a Cocaine Cat movie in our future? The outrageously offbeat horror movie, Cocaine Bear was based on a true story so it may not be so far-fetched, now that an exotic cat was captured in Ohio with the same illicit drug in his system.
The Cincinnati Zoo is now home to a wild African Serval. But, how this exotic cat came to live at the zoo is more than a little unorthodox.
In late January, a concerned animal lover spotted a cat stuck high up in a tree in Oakley, Ohio and contacted Cincinnati Animal CARE, the county’s animal control, rescue, and shelter center for help. Hamilton County Dog Warden, Chief Troy Taylor and rescuers arrived on scene to rescue what they initially thought was an F1 Savannah, a domestic house cat bred from the African Serval.
While they’re similar in appearance, a Serval and a Savannah are VERY different animals. Had the team known they were, in fact, facing a wild animal, they may have approached the rescue quite differently.
“It was sure a sight to see and after talking to the cat expert, he said we did a great job and also pretty lucky because this cat could’ve shredded us apart and killed us,” Taylor told WKRC Local12.
Adding to the mystery of how a wild African Serval became stranded in a southwest Ohio tree, the cat was found to have cocaine in his system.
Cincinnati Animal CARE managed the rescue, though the serval did suffer a broken leg in the process. And when their veterinary staff learned what they were actually dealing with, they kept the cat safely contained and comfortable overnight, then contacted the Cincinnati Zoo to take over care the next morning.
While it’s illegal to own a Serval in Ohio, owning the exotic cats is legal in neighboring states Indiana and Kentucky.
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