This is a Fernie cat story with a fortunate and happy ending. Aquila is a pet serval cat that is native to Africa and lives in Fernie. This is what happened to Aquila last week as posted to Facebook by her owner:
JULY 13th AQUILA GONE MISSING…
On July 13th someone came onto our property and cut the fence in our kennel to steal our cat. Her name is Aquila and she is usually quite shy unless cornered and nervous. She is about 35lbs and the size of a medium dog. If you have thoughts on who might have taken her please DM me. It is clear that whomever took her doesn’t have a clue what they are doing as anyone who knows about African Servals knows she is unlikely to survive in someone else’s custody. These cats do not bond with other humans once they have bonded with their own human family. She is already 7 years old. She doesn’t eat regular food. They are very habitual and she will be out of sorts outside of home. These cats are illegal in Alberta so if you are the person that maybe took her there then please bring her back to BC where she will be returned home. If you know someone who did something silly then please make arrangements with me to return her with no questions asked. The police are aware so if they find her you will be arrested. There is the possibility that she fought off her abductor and is loose here in Fernie. If you see her she will not hurt you but do no approach. Call the police or DM me on FB and we will thankfully come and get her.
JULY 14th CONFIRMED SIGHTING IN FERNIE…
Hi All. Thanks so much for the outpouring of support, suggestions, and shares on social media. It looks like our hunch that anyone trying to grab her from her enclosure would fail or that someone cut the fence to let her out. Aquila was spotted on Burma road on the West side of Fernie within a 2km radius of our house. We haven’t been able to locate her yet but have found her tracks to confirm she is in the area. If you see her again in and around Burma road or Alpine Trails please contact the police or local conservation officer. She is not dangerous to people or children but don’t chase her as she will simply and easily run away. Thanks again for all the support!
JULY 17th AQUILA RETURNS HOME…
Hi All. There has been a huge amount of interest, messages, leads, and community effort involved in ensuring Aquila had the best possible opportunity to find her way home. Thanks to some really great neighbours Aquila was spotted again hunting in a nearby field. Jaime received the call and was able to bring her home safely on Thursday afternoon. We’d like to thank all those involved and are very pleased to have our fur baby back home. Aquila was able to successfully hunt for food but managed to avoid cougars and bears before she was found, although she did lose a few pounds… Once home Aquila spent quite a bit of time sleeping but is in good health and seems happy to be eating dinner served to her. Thanks again to everyone for all the support!
Serval
The serval is a wild cat native to Africa. It is rare in North Africa and the Sahel, but widespread in sub-Saharan countries except rainforest regions. On the IUCN Red List it is listed as Least Concern.
It is the sole member of the genus Leptailurus and was first described by German naturalist Johann Christian Daniel von Schreber in 1776. Eighteen subspecies are recognized. The serval is a slender, medium-sized cat that stands 54–62 cm (21–24 in) at the shoulder and weighs 9–18 kg (20–40 lb). It is characterized by a small head, large ears, a golden-yellow to buff coat spotted and striped with black, and a short, black-tipped tail. The serval has the longest legs of any cat relative to its body size.
