Officials urge caution around lost serval
African cat last seen in Heritage Park area
Wednesday, August 8, 2007
Steamboat Springs — A domesticated serval escaped from a motorhome in the Heritage Park area Saturday, and law enforcement officers are urging residents to be careful if they come in contact with it.
A serval is a wild African cat that is medium in size and distinguishable by its large, triangular ears and a lean body covered with black spots. A serval's natural diet includes rodents, birds, insects, reptiles, fish and hares. Jim Haskins, area wildlife manager for the Colorado Division of Wildlife, said he wasn't aware of the missing serval until Tuesday.
"It's supposedly domesticated, but it's still a wild animal," he said. "People need to be cautious if they come in contact with this thing and call (wildlife) officials."
Alta, Wyo., resident Ken Koster owns the serval, which he named Sir Sidney. Koster is offering a $500 reward for the return of his beloved pet, which escaped while Koster was visiting family in Steamboat Springs.
Koster said the animal still has its claws and could scratch anyone who attempts to pick it up.
"He really isn't a threat to people," Koster said Tuesday. "He would not attack anyone or be aggressive unless he was provoked."
Koster said Sir Sidney is bashful and responds to clicking sounds and raw chicken.
Haskins said the serval could be the animal that has been reported as a mountain lion. A reported mountain lion sighting was made Monday night by a Steamboat Springs police officer on Village Drive.
DOW officials will not actively search for the animal, Haskins said.
It is illegal to own a serval in Colorado, and Haskins said Koster could face fines as a result of bringing the animal into the state.
"It is not legal to own one of these things in Colorado regardless (of weather Koster has) got the appropriate permits in another state," he said.
Haskins said it's become popular to own exotic pets such as servals.
"They're the new designer pet," he said. "They're just not legal in Colorado."
Comments
logbuilder 5 years, 9 months ago
kiel I'm now thinking that it was a cub, the prints are fairly small and close to each other. Mamma is probably around though.
another_local 5 years, 9 months ago
I wonder if the DOW will call the police officer a liar as well.
steamvent 5 years, 9 months ago
We have a large bear in the twelve acre Willett Ridge city open space that has been seen numerous times, has defacated in our yard three times in the past week, and is likely the one hit by the bicycle on Fish Creek Falls Road a few days ago. Everyone who lives in the area should know about the bear, but we have not bothered to report his presence because the DOW has become seemingly resentful of the public's initiative to report such things. The public chiding by DOW of the mountain lion sighting and the whining by DOW about public sentiment regarding bear control measures has been disappointing. By the way DOW, the bear is hanging around to eat berries, which are very abundant in this open space area, and not getting into trash, which seems to be your sole answer to the bear population explosion. What would you do if we were being overrun with Elk in town? I suspect you would issue more hunting permits, eh? Instead of always blaming the public, do your jobs and control the population.
bikegirl 5 years, 9 months ago
Well ,On sunday I saw this animal in my backyard .We have lots of barn cats around,but I knew it wasn't a barn cat,so I went on the computer and identified it.It was eating birdseed from the ground and when i looked at it out the window it ran into our field,have'nt seen it since.I was questioning what I really saw.Now I know.
id04sp 5 years, 9 months ago
Well, personally, I respond to a longing gaze, a female voice, and fried chicken.
And, apparently, bears do not always $#!+ in the woods!
Hint -- look for it in grouse habitat. These animals prey on guinea fowl in Africa, and a grouse is the closest wild neighbor in this part of the world.
bikegirl 5 years, 9 months ago
id04sp-I wonder if mourning doves are close enough to guinea fowl-got lots of doves in our field.I am told by DOW that the owner is concerned that because the cat is domesticated it wont be able to survive.I know my cat hunts all kinds of critters out here.I'm just glad to know what this cat is.
bikegirl 5 years, 9 months ago
id04sp-I wonder if mourning doves are close enough to guinea fowl-got lots of doves in our field.I am told by DOW that the owner is concerned that because the cat is domesticated it wont be able to survive.I know my cat hunts all kinds of critters out here.I'm just glad to know what this cat is.I think it's instincts will kick in if he gets hungry.
corduroy 5 years, 9 months ago
I'm wondering why before transporting such an exotic pet between states the owner didn't investigate the laws about servals in Colorado. Should have had a neighbor watch him (hehe)
logbuilder 5 years, 9 months ago
Yesterday morning I noticed muddy footprints on my driveway and upon investigating saw that it was bear prints. I live in Storm Mountain Reserve above Tamarack, and I have never seen any sign of bear before this, I assume it is the same one that got hit. And it wasnt even trash day.
JazzSlave 5 years, 9 months ago
I've never understood why people keep wild animals as pets. If it's as ill-eqipped as the owner claims re: its ability to survive, maybe it'll become the bear's next meal.
Matthew Stoddard 5 years, 9 months ago
Logbuilder- Not sure it it's the same bear. The one that was captured I was thinking was the one that comes by each night where I work, to unbear-proof the bear-proof dumpsters. After that one was put down, the next day we had trash cans hit as usual. My workplace is just uphill from where that one was lured into the trap.
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