Large exotic cat on the loose near Victoria is third African serval to escape on Vancouver Island this week
Another serval has escaped from its owner on Vancouver Island, this time in a community north of Victoria.
Sylvia Lammers says her large African cat briefly got loose from her Brentwood Bay home on Sunday night and then escaped again the following morning.
"She learned how to open the back door," Lammers said. "Initially this happened on Sunday and we got her back fairly quickly. We thought it was our error that we left the door open, not realizing that she had figured it out."
Lammers says she was able to lure the cat, named Cassia, back with treats. "Basically, I put prawns in a bag on a string and that's how I got her."
But the following morning, the three-year-old exotic feline escaped again while Lammers was at work.
The Brentwood Bay woman says her neighbour reportedly saw the animal around 10 a.m. Monday but Lammers has been scouring the area unsuccessfully since.
"She camouflages so well in this habitat," Lammers said.
DOMESTIC CAT KILLED BY SERVALS
Cassia is the third serval to escape on Vancouver Island in recent days after a pair of the animals got loose in Qualicum Beach, B.C., on Sunday. One of the pair is now back in the care of its owners and the other remains on the loose Thursday.
According to the BC SPCA, one or both of the escaped servals in Qualicum Beach was involved in the killing of a neighbour's domestic cat.
The agency says that servals are not listed in provincial regulations controlling animals from other countries, so they can be legally owned in some B.C. municipalities.
Lammers says that while domestic servals have different needs than most housecats, they are not the wild animals many people have made them out to be.
"They are domesticated," Lammers said. "It's not like she's been pulled from the tundra. She has many generations been raised – her ancestors – in domestic situations."
Lammers says she rescued Cassia from someone who was ill-equipped to care for the cat when it was six months old.
The Capital Regional District's animal control office told CTV News on Thursday it had not received any calls about the escaped cat in Brentwood Bay.
"My gut is that she isn't on the run and she's just hunkered down somewhere," Lammers said. "We've created a little scent trail for her. We've put out her litter pads at the end of our driveway in hopes that she will catch the scent and find her way back."
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Former homicide detective explains how police will investigate shooting outside Drake's Bridle Path mansion
Footage from dozens of security cameras in the area of Drake’s Bridle Path mansion could be the key to identifying the suspect responsible for shooting and seriously injuring a security guard outside the rapper’s sprawling home early Tuesday morning, a former Toronto homicide detective says.
Federal government grants B.C.'s request to recriminalize hard drugs in public spaces
The federal government is granting British Columbia's request to recriminalize hard drugs in public spaces, nearly two weeks after the province asked to end its pilot project early over concerns of public drug use.
Stormy Daniels describes meeting Trump during occasionally graphic testimony in hush money trial
Stormy Daniels took the witness stand Tuesday at Donald Trump's hush money trial, describing for jurors a sexual encounter the porn actor says she had with him in 2006 that resulted in her being paid off to keep silent during the presidential race 10 years later.
MPs agree Canadian gov't should improve new disability benefit
The federal government needs to safeguard the incoming Canada Disability Benefit from clawbacks and do more to ensure it actually meets the stated aim of lifting people living with disabilities out of poverty, MPs from all parties agree.
King Charles too busy to see son Prince Harry during U.K. trip
Prince Harry will not be seeing his father King Charles during his current visit to Britain as the monarch will be too busy, Harry's spokesperson said on Tuesday.
Boy Scouts of America changing name for first time in 114 years, aiming for inclusivity
The Boy Scouts of America is changing its name for the first time in its 114-year history and will become Scouting America. It's a significant shift as the organization emerges from bankruptcy following a flood of sexual abuse claims and seeks to focus on inclusion.
opinion Tom Mulcair: Trudeau's handling of Poilievre's 'wacko' House turfing a clear sign of Liberal desperation
When Speaker Greg Fergus tossed out Pierre Poilievre from the House last week, "those of us who have experience as parliamentarians simply couldn't believe our eyes," writes former NDP leader Tom Mulcair in his column for CTVNews.ca
Security guard shot, seriously injured outside of Drake's Toronto mansion
A security guard working at Drake’s Bridle Path mansion in Toronto was seriously injured in a shooting outside the residence early Tuesday morning, police said.
Katy Perry's mom was fooled by AI images of the singer at the Met Gala
Katy Perry did not attend the Met Gala on Monday, but some of the singer’s fans – and even her mom – thought she did.