A Ukrainian woman is facing up to five years in jail after attempting to smuggle a sub-Saharan wild cat into Poland by car.
The serval was discovered by officials on the backseat of the woman’s car in the village of Korczowa in the east of Poland, just 4 kilometers from the Ukrainian border.
When questioned she said that the animal was a domestic breed of serval.
But after tests revealed it was a wild species, the woman was arrested for attempting to illegally transport a protected species across a European border.
The serval was then taken to a wildlife rehabilitation center, where it will remain until a court’s decision.
The savannah serval is a predatory mammal with characteristic long limbs and large ears, protected under the CITES Convention.
Since the beginning of this year, the Customs and Fiscal Service from the Podkarpackie province has prevented the smuggling of over 3,000 protected species, alive and dead, including wildcats, buzzards, walrus bones, snake skin and medicinal products containing parts of protected animals.
When questioned she said that the animal was a domestic breed of serval.
But after tests revealed it was a wild species, the woman was arrested for attempting to illegally transport a protected species across a European border.
The serval was then taken to a wildlife rehabilitation center, where it will remain until a court’s decision.
The savannah serval is a predatory mammal with characteristic long limbs and large ears, protected under the CITES Convention.
Since the beginning of this year, the Customs and Fiscal Service from the Podkarpackie province has prevented the smuggling of over 3,000 protected species, alive and dead, including wildcats, buzzards, walrus bones, snake skin and medicinal products containing parts of protected animals.
Source: Gazeta.pl
More In Society MORE...
