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Owner says Gary the African serval will suffer under B.C. exotic cat ban

On Friday, British Columbia's updated Wildlife Act regulations took effect, banning ownership of wild cat species including servals, threatening the future of Gary, a 10-year-old serval at Wild Education in Langley.
The Ministry of Water, Land, and Resource Stewardship enacted these regulations to prohibit exotic cats as pets. The society stated the ban ensures no more exotic cats are brought into captivity where their needs cannot be met.
Owner Mike Hopcraft criticizes the "blanket ban" for ignoring rescue animals, arguing that confining Gary to an enclosure restricts his "enrichment." When Gary first arrived at the rescue, he lived in a cage and became so stressed he chewed off his own tail.
Hopcraft warns that without a compliant facility, Gary may face euthanasia. He stated, "If they can't find a place for Gary to go, because there will not be any rescue that can legally take him in, Gary will get put down."
Finding a new home proves difficult, as Hopcraft says zoos consider Gary not "exotic" enough, while smaller rescues lack the expensive accreditation required by provincial rules.

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