Exotic cat treated after meeting similar fate to 'Cocaine Bear'

You've heard of Cocaine Bear(2023), now an African wild cat that was captured is receiving treatment after it tested positive for cocaine.

The cocaine cat was first spotted in a tree in Oakley, Cincinnati when it was captured back by Hamilton County Dog Wardens in late January who responded to reports of a "leopard" sighting.

After the feline known as “Amiry" was taken to the Cincinnati Animal Care (CAC), it received treatment for a broke leg and was DNA tested to confirm the wild cat was actually an African serval - which are illegal in the state of Ohio.

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"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," CAC community engagement manager Ray Anderson told to WLWT.

Servals are medium-sized wild cats with "tawny, black-spotted coats" are able see over savanna grasses thanks to their "long necks and long legs."

They also have large ears, an acute sense of hearing, and weigh between 9 to 18 kilograms according to the African Wildlife Foundation.

And then the situation to another unexpected turn when the serval took a narcotics test which showed the animal had tested positive for exposure to cocaine.

“Toxicology came back the animal was positive for narcotics,” Chief Troy Taylor, from the Hamilton County Dog Warden's Office said, though how Amiry tested positive for this substance remains a mystery.

Amiry's owners have been cooperating and while Hamilton County Dog Wardens are not pursuing charges, the case is still open.

Meanwhile, the wild cat has been moved to the Cincinnati zoo for further treatment.

"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," Anderson said.

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