Alberta Woman Fined $15K for Illegally Possessing Wild Cats

Serval cat seized by Alberta Alberta Fish and Wildlife Enforcement Services in November 2023 from an Okotoks, Alta., resident. Courtesy of the Edmonton Valley Zoo

An Okotoks, Alta., woman has been fined $15,000 for illegally possessing two wild African cats she imported into the province for breeding, officials say.

Nikki Holmes pleaded guilty to possession of a controlled animal under the provincial Wildlife Act during an appearance at the Calgary Provincial Court of Justice on Jan. 15, according to Alberta Fish and Wildlife Enforcement Services (FWES). An investigation by the agency found Holmes had purchased two serval cats in British Columbia and Quebec, and illegally brought them into Alberta with the intention of breeding them.

Serval cats are listed as controlled animals in Alberta and may only be kept or imported under strict permit requirements, usually only issued for zoos, Fish and Wildlife told The Epoch Times in a statement.

“Large cats, like servals, can be aggressive, difficult to care for, and can pose significant safety risks to members of the public,” the agency said.

After receiving “several” reports about the serval cats through the “Report a Poacher” line, Fish and Wildlife executed a search warrant on Holmes’ residence on Nov. 30, 2023, confiscating one of the cats. The second serval had been sent elsewhere before the warrant and is now believed to be in British Columbia, Fish and Wildlife said.

Under the Wildlife Act, a person convicted of illegal possession of wildlife can face fines of up to $50,000, up to one year in prison, or both. 

The British Columbia Conservation Officer Service and the Quebec Wildlife Protection Service assisted the Alberta agency in the investigation. 

The confiscated cat, the only serval seized by Fish and Wildlife in recent years, was taken to the Edmonton Valley Zoo, which provides temporary and long-term care for confiscated wild animals in support of wildlife conservation, a zoo spokesperson told The Epoch Times.

“The male serval, who turns two years old this spring, has thrived in the care of the zoo, has been successfully introduced to the zoo’s female serval, and will be remaining at the zoo,” the spokesperson said in a statement.

Serval cats are not listed as controlled species in British Columbia, making their possession legal in the province, although municipalities can pass bylaws to prohibit their ownership. Vancouver, for example, bans all felids except domestic cats.