Serval rescued from private home in Aargau - now in Geneva

Wednesday, 25 January 2023 06:30

A serval has been rescued from a private home in canton Aargau and is now in the Bioparc in Geneva.

Servals are wild African cats and becoming more popular as pets due to social media.

But the Federal Veterinary Office is warning they are not possible to domesticate and permission is needed to keep them privately in Switzerland.

It’s the second time a serval has been found in private hands. In 2018 one escaped in Basel.

Christina Messner from the Bioparc says people are buying wild animals as if they were objects and don’t realize such a life is miserable for them.

International trade in the big cats seems to be thriving. In Lyon in France last year, 12 were found being kept illegally.

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