Prosecutors in France said a couple paid $7,000 to buy a Savannah cat, a mix between an African serval and a domestic cat, from an online ad, but ended up surrendering the animal when it turned out to be a Sumatran tiger cub. File Photo by Joe Marino-Bill Cantrell/UPI | License Photo
The couple paid about $7,000 for the kitten, but after about a week in their care, the couple suspected the feline was not a Savannah cat, which is legal to keep as a pet in France, but a Sumatran tiger, an endangered species native to Indonesia.
The prosecutors said the incident sparked a two-year investigation that culminated this week with nine people being arrested. The couple who purchased the cat were among those arrested, but were later released by police.
Authorities said animal trafficking charges are being sought in the case.
The tiger cub now is in the care of the French Biodiversity Office.
