Arkansas wild cat sanctuary takes in two-year-old serval

EUREKA SPRINGS, Ark. — Turpentine Creek Wildlife Refuge welcomed a new serval from Tennessee after a family decided to rehome the cat.

According to a press release from the refuge, the family partnered with the wild cat sanctuary to provide Zuri, a two-year-old serval, a new home after struggling to create a suitable environment for her.

The release says the family realized she “…needs a more suitable environment that we just can’t provide.” Turpentine Creek said Zuri’s instinctual behaviors as a wild animal created challenges for her owners.

“There is currently a small exotic cat crisis; we are being bombarded with calls from people who are fooled by breeders who say that African small cats make great pets, but in reality, they do not. You can take the cat out of the wild, but you cannot take the wild out of the cat,” said Tanya Smith, president and founder of Turpentine Creek, in a statement.

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