[Animals] Wild cat found with cocaine in its system to live at Cincinnati Zoo

[Blackfire]

• An African serval cat that was found with cocaine in its system after an escape at a traffic stop will now call the Cincinnati Zoo home.

  The wild cat’s story has trended online in the wake of the release of the film "Cocaine Bear," a horror comedy based on the true story of a 175-pound black bear that was found dead near a duffle bag and some $2 million worth of cocaine. Social media users have predictably dubbed the serval “cocaine cat.”

  The feline made an escape after its owner was pulled over by police on Jan. 28, according to local animal control officials. It leapt from the car into a tree.

  Ray Anderson of Cincinnati Animal CARE said that local animal control, Hamilton County Dog Wardens, were called around 2 a.m. in the residential Oakley neighborhood

 

 

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  In Ohio, it is illegal to own the animals, which can weigh up to 40 pounds. During the rescue mission, the cat named Amiry broke its leg and became more agitated.

  Once Amiry was taken in for medical care by Cincinnati Animal CARE, the team ran a drug test in which they determined that Amiry had cocaine in his system. 

 

 

• It’s not the first time that Cincinnati Animal CARE, which has been operating as the county animal shelter, has had a wild animal test positive for drugs. In 2022, the group took in a capuchin monkey, named Neo, that had methamphetamine in its system.

  Since that case, it has become standard procedure for the shelter to test exotic animals that arrive at the shelter for drugs, Anderson said.

  Anderson confirmed that the owner of Amiry relinquished custody of the cat to Cincinnati Animal CARE before it was taken into the care of the Cincinnati Zoo.

https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/wild-cat-found-cocaine-system-live-cincinnati-zoo-rcna74305