Vancouver resident finds exotic feline surprise under porch
A Vancouver resident found a wild and exotic surprise under their porch, a fully grown African serval cat.
Police and conservation officers were called to a home in East Vancouver, close to Prince Albert and East 30th Avenue, to assist in getting the cat back to its owners.
VPD also shared some footage of the discovery, advising residents to give their neighbours a heads up if a pet escapes.
Friendly reminder: If your pet escapes, give your neighbours a heads‑up. Last night, someone found a serval under their porch. Not a typo. A full-grown African serval cat, which is approximately 3X larger than your typical housecat. Police and conservation officers were called to… pic.twitter.com/KAjdjJlSaV
— Vancouver Police (@VancouverPD) June 8, 2026
Recently, beginning on May 1, 2026, B.C. actually banned the breeding, selling, and “future ownership” of non-domestic and non-native cats — residents who owned exotic cats prior to the changes needed to apply for a free permit.
So it would appear that this cat would fall under past ownership, but we’ve reached out to the VPD for clarification.
The B.C. government said that non-native cat species can create a risk to public safety, pets, and wildlife. Further, they are not often safely or humanely cared for.
Because exotic cats are good hunters, they can hunt and kill native wildlife, like birds, small mammals, and reptiles, as well as disturb vegetation, nesting areas, and other wildlife spaces.
Part of the deal with current owners being allowed to keep their exotic pets included “zero public contact.”
According to the Vancouver Police Department (VPD), servals are around three times bigger than a typical housecat. We’ve asked the VPD if any violation fines were imposed against the owner of this full-sized African serval, and will update this story when we get a response.
The VPD was involved in another wild incident last month involving a bear.