In a notice from the Norwegian Food Safety Authority to the owner of the serval, it is stated that the Norwegian Food Safety Authority is considering making a decision to relocate the serval Niño. VG was the first to report on the case. – The Norwegian Food Safety Authority is now doing the only thing that is right, as my client sees it, namely to go for a relocation rather than a euthanasia, says the woman’s lawyer, Roy André Håkonsen Arteid to news. If a relocation does not go well, the serval will be killed, the notice further states. But the Norwegian Food Safety Authority is in favor of relocation, writes section head Kjerstin Helene Kolvik Iversen in an e-mail to news. – As of now, I am primarily working to find a solution for relocation. If it is not possible to relocate the serval, he will unfortunately be euthanized. – We are cautiously optimistic after reading the notice, says Håkonsen Arteid. Illegally imported Since the serval was first observed along the street in Os in Bjørnafjorden in the summer of 2023, there has been uncertainty as to what would become the fate of the illegally imported animal. The Norwegian Environment Agency has previously stated that they saw no good alternatives to euthanasia, and the owner lived for a year in hiding with the animal in fear that the authorities would euthanize her pet. In September, the owner was arrested in Haugesund. Servalen has since been in the custody of the West police district, and later the Norwegian Food Safety Authority. The woman is charged with illegal animal keeping and complicity in introducing the animal, and has pleaded guilty. It is not clear whether the Norwegian Food Safety Authority has found a new owner. There is nothing in the notification about whether the Norwegian Food Safety Authority has found someone who can take over the animal husbandry of the serval, or whether he will remain in the country. – My impression is that so far they have not found new animal farms, but that they may be investigating, says Håkonsen Arteid. – Killing Niño seems completely pointless when there have been several places that have come out and said they can accept Niño, he says. In the past, both the Animal Park in Kristiansand and a reserve in South Africa have been proposed as possible solutions for relocation. Now it could be a zoo that saves the feline’s life. Photo: STEFFEN LJOSHEIM / STEFFEN LJOSHEIM The Norwegian Food Safety Authority will not go out with specific locations that are being considered for relocation, but mentions the zoo as an example of a new owner. – Over the past few weeks, the Norwegian Food Safety Authority, with the help of experts, has assessed the qualifications of the animal for relocation to, for example, a zoo. The conclusion is that this may be a possible solution given that she comes to a place where the living environment and existence are adapted to the animal, writes Kolvik Iversen. Nor will they go into more detail about whether the serval will stay in Norway or not. Nor have they given the owner any indication of where the serval may end up, says Håkonsen Arteid. – But again, it is very positive that the Norwegian Food Safety Authority is now considering relocation and not culling. That is good news in itself, he says. Facts about the serval The serval is a predatory species in the cat family. The feline is widespread in Africa, south of the Sahara. It occurs in savannas, preferably near water. It has a slender body with long legs, a small head, a relatively long neck and large, rounded ears. The fur is orange-brown with a pattern of black spots. It has yellowish eyes with elongated pupils. The body length is 70–100 cm, the tail 35–40 cm and it weighs up to 20 kilos. Normally, the serval eats animals up to 200-300 grams. Source: Store norske lexikon and the Norwegian Environment Agency Asking the owner to cover costs The Norwegian Food Safety Authority has also announced a decision to hold the owner responsible for the costs they have incurred when storing the serval. – We haven’t had time to discuss it, but she is taking it so far for information, says Håkonsen Arteid. – So it is not what is in focus now, but that Niño gets to live on. Then I will have to decide on that, we have been given a deadline of one week to come up with a statement on the advance notice. Published 15.10.2024, at 17.15 Updated 15.10.2024, at 17.19
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The Norwegian Food Safety Authority will try to relocate the serval Niño – news Vestland
