Exotic cat on cocaine rescued in Cincinnati neighborhood

CINCINNATI — An exotic wild cat is now being cared for by the Cincinnati Zoo after it was rescued from a Cincinnati neighborhood.

In the early morning hours of Jan. 28 Hamilton County dog wardens were called to reports of a “leopard” being spotted in a tree in Oakley, a neighborhood of Cincinnati, according to a spokesperson with Cincinnati Animal CARE.

Dog wardens were able to retrieve the exotic cat, named Amiry, from the tree and he was brought to Cincinnati Animal CARE for medical treatment.

Cincinnati Animal CARE said they initially thought the cat was a hybrid F1 savannah cat, which is legal in Ohio, but DNA testing revealed it was a serval, which is illegal.

>> PHOTOS: Exotic cat on cocaine rescued in Cincinnati neighborhood

The serval is a wild cat native to Africa.

Amiry also tested positive for exposure to cocaine, according to Cincinnati Animal CARE.

As Cincinnati Animal CARE is not equipped to house wildlife, Amiry was safely taken to the Cincinnati Zoo, according to a spokesperson.

His owner was cooperative in the investigation and the Hamilton County dog wardens are not pressing charges at this time.

Information on how Amiry was exposed to cocaine was not available.

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Exotic cat on cocaine rescued in Cincinnati neighborhood (Courtesy of Cincinnati Animal CARE)

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