“Smaller, but as fast as a cheetah”: a serval on the run causes a good scare in Lanaudière

A feline similar to the cheetah caused quite a scare in September in Saint-Alphonse-Rodriguez, a small municipality in Lanaudière. The owner of the animal of African origin, which had escaped from its enclosure, comes out of the shadows to defend her animal which she describes as “harmless”.

“It’s not an animal that is dangerous. She has a good temperament,” says the feline’s owner, who wishes to remain anonymous.

Nami, the serval in question who is one year old and weighs around twenty pounds, ran away on September 10.

“It’s an accident, not a defect in his enclosure. She left through the garage door when I brought her into the house,” says the 29-year-old woman, who bought the feline for $12,000.

The owner of the animal then published a message on the Facebook page of the municipality of Saint-Alphonse-Rodriguez.

“I wanted someone to warn me if they saw him. I was afraid that she would attack other animals,” she explains.

The disappearance quickly spread around the small municipality, causing quite a scare among some residents.

“This is the first time we’ve heard of this. There have been concerns, because it is near a residential area. People were worried,” says Isabelle Perreault, mayor of the municipality.

Luckily, Nami returned home a few hours later.

“A little cheetah”

The serval is a wild feline that comes from Africa.

“It’s not a cat, that’s the thing to remember,” says Valérie Bissonnette, vice-president of the Association of Veterinary Doctors of Quebec.

She adds that the serval, which can breed with domestic cats, is compared to the cheetah.

“It’s smaller, but almost as fast as the cheetah. He is a very good hunter with grip strength in his jaw that is two to three times greater than that of a cat,” explains the veterinarian.

In the wild, it feeds mainly on small mammals.

Faced with humans, the feline will have the reflex to flee, but “it remains a wild animal which can attack if we try to catch it”.

Licensed in Quebec, but not in the municipality

In Quebec, keeping the serval in captivity is legal. The owner must, however, hold a permit from the Ministry of Wildlife.

“The animal must be kept in secure facilities that prevent its escape, separate from a house. It can only be taken out of its enclosure when it is under the supervision of its keeper,” explains Daniel Labonté, spokesperson for the Ministry of Wildlife.

The mayor of the municipality, who was not aware of the presence of this feline, affirms that this type of exotic animal is prohibited on her territory.

“The Ministry of Wildlife can issue permits, but that does not replace municipal regulations. There was a flaw,” maintains Ms. Perreault, adding that checks are underway.

For her part, the owner confirms that she has the permit and the necessary installations.