A ‘dangerous’ wild cat is being treated after testing positive for cocaine, officials have confirmed.
Just when you thought the idea of a bear high on drugs was terrifying enough, an exotic cat in the US was found to have met a similar fate recently after somehow ingesting some cocaine.
The cat was found up a tree in Oakley, a neighbourhood in Hamilton County, Cincinnati, earlier this year, in a story that only gets weirder and weirder.
Ray Anderson, a spokesperson with Cincinnati Animal CARE (CAC) - the county's animal control services provider - said dog wardens were alerted to reports of a ‘leopard’ sighted in a tree on 28 January.
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Wardens bravely retrieved the cat and took it back to CAC, where the medical team called in a big cat expert – a figure Anderson said was known for working on high profile cases like the Tiger King animals and the 2011 tragedy in Zanesville, Ohio.
The cat, which they named Amiry, ended up being an exotic animal not native to the area.
He explained: "Our initial thought was the cat was a hybrid F1 Savannah, which is legal to own in Ohio, but our expert was pretty certain Amiry was a serval, which are illegal."
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A DNA test confirmed their suspicions, revealing that Amiry was, indeed, a serval - a wild cat native to Africa that can weigh up to 40lbs, according to the African Wildlife Foundation.
The tale gets wilder still, though, as when they ran a narcotics test they found that the cat was also positive for exposure to cocaine.
Chief Troy Taylor, from the Hamilton County Dog Warden's Office, said: "Toxicology came back the animal was positive for narcotics in its system. And DNA came back positive illegal serval."
He also said rescuing Amiry from the tree was no easy feat, having been praised by the big cat expert.
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“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 explained, adding: "These types of animals are considered dangerous. They are on the dangerous wild list for Ohio.”
As CAC is not able to handle wild animals, the animal was taken to Cincinnati Zoo to be looked after, with Michelle Curley, spokesperson for the Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Gardens, saying their new four-legged resident had received veterinary care in the zoo's Animal Health Center after arriving.
However, Amiry will have to remain behind the scenes for some time, so visitors will be unlikely catch a glimpse anytime soon.
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CAC said that, despite it being illegal to own a serval in Ohio, Hamilton County Dog Wardens are not pursuing charges, but that the case remains open.
It added that Amiry’s owner has also been cooperating, with the Ohio Department of Agriculture launching its own investigation as well.
Anderson said: "We're extremely proud of the work done in this case by the dog wardens and medical staff and are immensely appreciative to the Cincinnati Zoo for getting Amiry the care he needs."
Elizabeth Banks... you up for making Cocaine Cat this time?
Jess Hardiman