In 2025, Fish and Wildlife officers were able to solve several cases with help from the public. Here is one of those cases.

In November 2023, Alberta Fish and Wildlife Enforcement Services out of the Strathmore District, received a Report-A-Poacher call advising them of a resident of Alberta that was in possession of two male serval cats near Okotoks, Alberta. The report indicated the individual possessed the cats with the intention to breed them. Information suggested one of the servals was a mature male, and the second was a juvenile male.

Officers began an investigation that resulted in two search warrants: one of a property, and one of a cell phone. During the search of the residence, officers seized one juvenile male serval cat and found evidence that a second mature cat had previously been removed from the residence. Officers collected DNA from kittens and the live cat seized at the residence, as well as hair samples from enclosures. The samples were analyzed by the Alberta Fish and Wildlife Forensic Laboratory.

The investigation determined the individual purchased the adult male serval from Québec in 2022 and then purchased the juvenile male from a seller in British Columbia in 2023. Fish and Wildlife officers worked closely with officers in other jurisdictions to coordinate out-of-province interviews in both Québec and British Columbia. As a result of the investigation, officers determined that the individual bred an adult male cat to produce offspring for sale and unlawfully possessed two serval cats imported into Alberta.

On January 15, 2025, in Calgary Provincial Court of Justice, Justice E. Vomberg heard submissions from defence and crown prosecutors. A guilty plea was entered by the accused, Nikki Holmes, to one count of unlawful possession pursuant to Section 55(1) of the Wildlife Act of Alberta and was imposed a fine of $15,000. All seizures including the live serval cat were forfeited to the Crown, and remaining counts withdrawn.

Controlled animal files often have challenges when prosecuting, and this one was no different. In canvassing previous cases in our own jurisdiction and across Canada, it was confirmed there were no prevalent cases located with any successful outcomes that related directly to “live” large cat breeds. This is a successful precedence setting case for Alberta Fish and Wildlife Enforcement Services, which carries a deterrent for anyone attempting to go down this path of importing, possessing, breeding, or otherwise owning live controlled animals in the Province of Alberta.

Thank you to the British Columbia Conservation Officer Service and Québec Wildlife Protection Service /Protection de la Faune du Québec, Ministère de l’Environnement, de la Lutte contre les changements climatiques, de la Faune et des Parcs for their assistance, and to the Edmonton Valley Zoo for housing and caring for the cat.

Anyone with information of suspected poaching is encouraged to contact Report A Poacher by phone at 1-800-642-3800 or online at alberta.ca/report-poacher.aspx. All reporters can remain anonymous, as well as be eligible for a reward.

REPORT A POACHER NOW! CALL TOLL-FREE OR REPORT ONLINE 24 HOURS A DAY, 7 DAYS A WEEK.

All calls are kept strictly confidential, and the information you provide can lead to an arrest, fines, and jail time. The Report A Poacher program is delivered in joint partnership between Alberta Justice and Alberta Conservation Association.