"It's a serval": Carole Baskin on Vancouver cat that sparked cougar search
Tiger King‘s Carole Baskin has offered her opinion on a large cat that raised alarm in Vancouver’s Shaughnessy neighbourhood this week when someone reported it as a cougar.
The tall, spotted cat was seen darting between properties on Tuesday in photos shared by the BC Conservation Officer Service.
Savannah Cats are not regulated under Controlled Alien Species regulations.
We appreciate the public calling in tips so it could be safely reunited with its owner. #NeverADullDay pic.twitter.com/a4mKkKxDTi
— BC CO Service (@_BCCOS) May 18, 2022
The BC COS and Vancouver police said the suspected cougar turned out to be a Savannah cat — a cross between an African serval and a domestic cat. It was caught and returned to its owner.
However, big cat-loving celebrity Baskin disputes the conservation officers’ assessment. She said the cat is without a doubt a serval.
“You were lied to if someone told you this is a hybrid. It’s a serval,” Baskin tweeted Thursday.
You were lied to if someone told you this is a hybrid. It’s a serval. 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.
— CaroleBaskin.ETH (@carole_baskin) May 19, 2022
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She also suggested that there was incentive to claim the cat was a Savannah for legal reasons.
“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.”
An African serval (left) produces a Savannah cat (right) when crossbred with a domestic cat. (AnastasiaPe4enya/Shutterstock | Troy Rauenzahn/Shutterstock)
As it turns out, there is no law against owning a serval in BC. Neither servals nor Savannah cats are mentioned in the province’s Controlled Alien Species legislation.
But the BC SPCA cautions that servals are wild animals and do not make good house pets.
“Serval cats roam savannahs and wetlands hunting for prey. They have poor quality of life when kept as pets,” it said. “They are difficult to contain in a home or enclosure setting, and pose a risk to their keepers and the public.”
In addition, servals are not easily house-trained and often mark their territory with urine. The BC SPCA also said it’s difficult for owners to meet a serval’s nutritional and veterinary needs.
The first generation of Savannah cats born from their serval parent is generally taller than grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Every generation of Savannah that’s further from its serval ancestor tends to get smaller, according to the Savannah Cat Association.
As for cougars, they’re often seen in mountainous Metro Vancouver suburbs but rarely in the city itself. Young cougars have a spotted coat until they’re about two years old, which could explain the mistaken identity in Shaughnessy.