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….