The Taliban attack today is an example of human madness. This is another example. The African serval is legal as a pet in most Vancouver Island municipalities which is why sometimes they escape and sometimes they get killed on the road because they have no idea of the dangers that surrounds them in suburbia. They have no idea that they are in a human settlement with heavy traffic and all manner of other hazards and dangers. It is quite absurd that the African serval can be treated as a pet in Vancouver Island municipalities and, in fact, any other Canadian or American municipality.
Another serval has escaped and another serval has died on the roads and if they don’t die on the road some idiot shoots them because they have no idea what what they are looking at and they’re terrified (unjustifiably). When a person is frightened and they don’t understand they kill.
The basic motto is that what we don’t understand we are frightened of and what we are frightened of we kill (if we can kill it and it is legal).
Recently, there was a search in Vancouver Island for an escaped exotic cat and the search is conveniently over because a man in a truck struck and killed the escaped exotic cat which happened to be an African serval because the African serval is often turned into a pet because people think that they make a nice pet which they don’t because they’re too big and because they spray urine and they may scratch and hurt people and therefore they are declawed which is a nasty abuse of an animal which turns the whole human/cat relationship into a complete failure. Phew.
In this instance, the man in the truck happened to be Peter Henry and he posted photos of the dead cat in the back of his truck on his Facebook page. That solved the problem of the missing exotic cat. It is such a typical and modern way to announce the end of the life of an African serval who shouldn’t have been in Vancouver in the first place – so far out of his or her natural habitat as to be a joke.
Peter Henry says that he was shocked when the serval jumped out in front of his truck (personally I am not). A local cat breeder believes that the serval was one of his that he sold to another local breeder. Cat breeders sell to cat breeders who breed more cats who then sell the cats to people who think they can look after an exotic cat which happens to be a 40 pound, medium-sized, African wild cat which they discover is unsuitable to be a pet.
Hallelujah. When are humans going to learn from history and grow up?
Please search using the search box at the top of the site. You are bound to find what you are looking for.
Looking closer at the picture of this dead serval, I think it may have been shot instead of run over or hit by the owner of this truck.
Notice the dead deer carcass covered by buckets with only it’s hooves sticking out.
Also, there appears to be no damage… injury, blood etc. to this serval as you would expect to see when an animal is hit by vehicle. Not to be graphic but after impact with vehicle, animals usually present with foam and blood from the mouth area coming up from the lungs.
Regardless, how or why any cat ends up dead due to non natural cause is a horrible event that should and could be prevented.
Nice point Debra. I would not be surprise me at all if this serval was shot. There have been several recent cases of “exotic cats” such as the F1 Savannah (Detroit) being shot because people are scared of them and people do like to use their guns.
Exotic wild animals do not make good pets in private households as they are temperamental by instinct irrespective of the docility.Having just returned from a tour of the “Little Rann of Kutch” and observing the “Indian Asiatic wild ass” in its natural environment was surprised at its wildness compared to the common donkey .The Indian wild ass is accustomed to seeing humans, cattle and vehicles on the Little rann of Kutch desert but maintains a safe distance from humans and vehicles. Our jeep could never approach a herd closer than 100 meters as they would flee.Have also read that the “Indian wild ass” can never be domesticated akin to a wild horse.Strange but true characteristics of the Indian Asiatic wild ass. Anyone having ideas of keeping one as a “Pet” akin to a common donkey ?Let wild animals be wild and let us humans preserve the natural wilderness.Posted a photo of a lone wild ass stallion.This was the closest we could get to any of the “Indian wild asses”.
Rudolph that is a headline for a newspaper article. It reflects my sentiments entirely and you know that. Do humans have this manic desire to tame everything to place it under their control? I think we hate to think that we can’t control something. We hate the fact that nature is bigger and more powerful than us.
The Mongolian wild ass has the astonishing ability to travel at an average of 30 miles per hour over 16 miles! Awesome. Yet very few people know how awesome this animal is.
The domestic cat can reach 30 miles per hour but only for a hundred yards or something like that.
It’s a shame that yet another beautiful serval is killed by a car. Exotic animals do not make good pets. They belong in their native habitats where they can live a natural and more fulfilling life.
No matter how enriching their environment or conscientious their human keeper is, servals (and all other exotics) are not domesticated and should not be kept in captivity by private individuals.
People should not be allowed to own wild animals or to breed semi wild animals, they should be left in the wild where they are meant to be.
How many times do cats like that poor serval escape from their prison and end up dead!
No one can say a wild animal is happy being confined and forced to endure it, no wonder they make a run for it when they get the chance.
There are plenty of small domestic cats suitable as pets, they are being killed every day for lack of homes. But some people with big egos don’t care about them, they ‘have to own’ big cats and that is cruel and wrong!
Ruth, there have been many dangerous animal escapes and a few injuries to the public from exotic animals housed at zoological institutions all over the world.
Are you against the zoos keeping endangered wild animals including small, medium and big feline species in captivity and breeding them?
Captivity is captivity, go back 20 years and many of the species at zoos were purchased from private breeders. You only need to look at studbook records to verify this.
I believe the practice of zoos purchasing white tigers just recently ended not too long ago.
I am against all zoos and circuses owning or breeding wild or semi wild animals, as well as those people who feel they must own one! Any establishment or anyone in fact who uses animals who should still be in the wild.
But it’s too late now, Nature has been interfered with by the ‘superior’ species, nothing will save the wild animals of the world now.
I agree Ruth that humankind is set on a path which will lead to the destruction of most species in the wild in 100-200 years or whatever. It is unforgiveable and quite insane as far as I am concerned.
I agree it is horrible for any cat to end up being shot or run over by a car. This is usually an event either the result of an irresponsible owner who did not keep the cat in a secure escape proof enclosure or the result of a criminal trespassing who intentionally cut open the cage to release the animal or a theft attempt.
I don’t know the laws in Vancouver BC but in the US there are strict rules and regulations in place for keeping exotics in captivity which include a minimum of yearly unannounced inspection visits from both the state wildlife authorities as well as the federal USDA inspectors. I choose not to debate the issue of keeping the lesser wild cat species as pets but it is still legal in some states therefore people who qualify for a permit and follow the rules and regulations have the right to do so. The news media is quick to announce every incidence involving an exotic animal because it makes a good news story. However, they rarely if ever write stories about responsible owners. Many owners who have never had an escape or injury to the public exist but the general public is not made aware of them.
Debora, you make a good point, I agree. It is about responsible cat caretaking and guardianship. But there are too many irresponsible cat owners. That is one problem. Secondly, the basic concept and ideology of owning a wild cat species as a pet is incorrect in my opinion and it disrespects the animal. Further, it undermines conservation and it encourages international trade in wild species and exotic cats. It treats exotic cats as assets and consumer items. It treats exotic cats as status symbols. There are so many negatives with respect to the ownership of exotic cat – meaning a medium wild cat species – that, in my opinion, it should be stopped.I understand that in some states in the USA it is banned so my views are not exceptional. But I believe firmly that the general trend in the USA is against ownership of exotic wild species including exotic cats. I think you will see a gradual diminishing of this fad which at one time didn’t exist in the USA.
Michael,
As stated I will not debate pet ownership however, I will say that most if not all pure wild cat species do not make good pets. As you said previously some may be friendly to humans and I believe that to be true _but_ all of them have special diet requirements, need specialized vet care and spray everywhere to mark their territory which is quite foul smelling.
I also believe that outside of being a sanctuary or accredited zoo such as AZA or ZAA personal ownership of wild felines and most likely the breeding and/or ownership of higher percentage F4-F1 hybrids will no longer be allowed in the near future.
As you mentioned, this has been the trend during the last decade and the few states that currently allow them are likely to implement bans as well.
When folks start keeping Polar Bears “because they are sooooo CUTE” I might start being a bit concerned.
You ‘hit’ on this subject recently, Michael, when you posted an open question [to the effect of] “What the heck is the deal with North American people keeping such a variety of weird and/or exotic pets?” in a recent blogspot.
I believe that in response, I blamed the Queen Mother – or at least one of your old Kings.
Keeping killer pets is one of the few things us poor serfs could (and still can) do with impunity, to continue my argument. I personally once tried to get an alligator for my moat (a 4 inch deep trench I actually dug around my house, for effect). No, it did NOT work out well (I ended up with a 165 pound Rottweiler instead, and a conviction in a proper Court of Law for stupidity).
As a Barrister, AND an Englishman, I blame you!
for BOTH situations, dear Michael: most of ‘our’ laws are based on teachings brought from your side of “the Pond”, and; the English were the ‘original’ “Man” that kept us poor serfs/colonies/possessions “down”, and forced us to have rats, wildebeests, horned toads and wild cats as pets (because all the “nice” animals belonged to the Manor, or to the King).
At times I rather “miss” his input on your pages here from everyone’s favorite contributor” “Numbnuts”, the fellow that shoots every cat he ever sees. Ass as he is, he argues quite well.
(and I like that he is too far away to take an impassioned swing at my face!)
Forgive me, I’m just trying to come up with reasons to escape the fact that I have obtained “good hootch” (a very nice, very especial form of alcoholic beverage) that I am going to use to ‘bribe’ the retired veterinarian across the street to come kill Dr. Itchy Brother.
Excuse me, euthanize is the proper term.
A good, knock-down, drag ’em out argument always makes me feel better – please forgive me Michael for ‘picking’ on you. You are simply the one closest to my keyboard at the moment.
Itchy has reached the end of his road. He has either a giant tumor on the side of his pretty face, or a major infection of some sort – maybe simply dental. It is IS ‘taking him’, however. He has lost sight in one eye now, due to the infection, and in spite of his continuing “purrs” when I hold him, I know he is now in the greatest of mortal distress.
I cannot, in any form of ‘good conscious’, let my little trusting best-friend-in-the-world continue to suffer like this. I hate like heck to loose him, but I simply must ‘put him on that bus’ and buy him ‘the ticket’.
Okay, okay…
Dear Michael: if I ran over my cat (to euthanize him) with my Jaguar motorcar, do you think it would be proper to blame the English (you) for his death?
(you tend to ask open-ended questions like that, my dear barrister!)
Yes, I think one of the first private zoos was at the Tower of London hundreds of years ago, I forget which monarch. We, the Brits, killed off all our large wildlife hundreds of years ago. We have done our bit to destroy nature.
Bruce, if you are partaking of the spectacular hootch, please put it aside and, initially, use it if you must to convince the retired vet to evaluate Dr. Itchy before you make a decision to have him killed. He may well be treatable, ie. perhaps an abcessed tooth. “Hootchy” decisions aren’t always our best decisions.
Bruce, I’m sorry to say that I should have gone with my initial gut feeling which is that you are Jimbo/Woody.
Many of your comments are quite irrational. Not even Michael addresses them, such as bribing a retired vet with alcohol to kill your cat. You, also, seem to admire the Jimbo/Woody character, writing that he argues quite well.
You are quite insane, Bruce.
Dee, I have hardly read his comments but I agree your assessment. Do you have any ideas what I should do about it?
Let it be.
He is pretty much ignored from what I see.
Yes, because his comments are unintelligible 😉 .
Some people are so stupid.Those are not house cats.