The Cincinnati Zoo is now home to an African Serval cat that was discovered to have cocaine in its system after escaping at a traffic stop, much to t
The Cincinnati Zoo is now home to an African Serval cat that was discovered to have cocaine in its system after escaping at a traffic stop, much to the joy of social media users who are still amused by the most recent release of the film “Cocaine Bear.”
Online users enjoyed the absurdity of the horror comedy, which parodies the true account of a 175-pound black bear that was discovered deceased next to a duffel bag and about $2 million worth of cocaine, as the tale of the wild cat gained popularity. Predictably, the Serval has been referred to as “cocaine cat” by social media users.
According to regional animal control authorities, the skinny cat eluded capture on Jan. 28 after its owner was stopped by the police. It jumped into a tree from the vehicle.
Per the Ray Anderson of Cincinnati Animal CARE, the Hamilton County Dog Wardens received a report at around 2 a.m. from the residential Oakley neighborhood.
The animals, which can measure up to 40 pounds, cannot be owned in Ohio. The cat, Amiry, lost its temper and broke its limb during the rescue operation.
Amiry was given medical attention by Cincinnati Animal CARE after which the team conducted a substance test and discovered that Amiry had cocaine in his system.
It’s not the first time that a wild animal at Cincinnati Animal CARE, which serves as the county animal refuge, tested positive for drugs. Neo, a capuchin monkey that had methamphetamine in its blood, was adopted by the group in 2022.
Since that incident, testing exotic animals for drugs when they appear at the shelter has become standard practice, according to Anderson.
Before Amiry was given to the Cincinnati Zoo’s care, Anderson verified that the cat’s owner gave Cincinnati Animal CARE custody of it.
Servals have gained fame, and some of them have appeared as pets in TikTok videos. A serval requires more care than a house cat, as said by Julie Sheldon, clinical associate professor of zoo medicine at the University of Tennessee. It also needs a balanced diet.
According to Anderson, the Cincinnati Animal CARE takes in about 8,000 creatures annually.
Anderson advised against attempting to maintain a wild animal as a pet saying, “You could save a whole lot of money and get a really awesome house cat at your local animal shelter.”
