Overview
- Officers found five Leptailurus serval—one adult male, a pregnant adult female and three roughly four‑month‑old cubs—in a 50 square meter enclosure at a private finca in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria.
- SEPRONA determined the animals were brought into the Canary Islands without CITES authorization or customs and health controls.
- The five cats were seized and moved to specialized facilities accredited to receive CITES species under authorization from MITECO.
- Three residents of the property are under investigation for an alleged crime against protected wildlife and for possible administrative and customs violations under Canary Islands Decree 30/2018 and Spain’s Animal Welfare Law 7/2023.
- Authorities say inquiries continue to establish how the servals entered the islands and who is responsible, and they urge holders of exotic species to disclose and regularize possession to avoid sanctions.