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Move over, Cocaine Bear, we now have a Cocaine Cat.
On January 28, police were making a traffic stop when an exotic cat jumped out of the car while the driver was being taken into custody, and run into a tree in a Cincinnati neighborhood. Those in the area began calling in with sightings of a leopard in a tree, before animal workers responded and removed the cat.
According to local reports, the exotic cat was an African serval cat that is now recovering at the Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden. As it turns out, animal control officials tested the feline and it tested positive for cocaine.
“It was sure a sight to see, and after talking to the cat expert, he said we did a great job. And also [we were] pretty lucky because this cat could’ve shredded us apart and killed us,” the chief of the Hamilton county dog warden’s office, Troy Taylor, told WKRC.
Serval cats are illegal to own in Ohio — as is cocaine.
The serval cat’s owner has been cooperative with the investigation and no charges are being pursued at this time.
The cat is being treated at the Cincinnati Zoo and is now named Amiry as it recovers. While the cat is being kept away from the public while it recovers, it could find a permanent home at the Cincinnati Zoo if things go well.
