A Roehampton family has been left "absolutely devastated" after their pet serval was seized by police.

Last week officers from the Putney Safer Neighbourhoods team were called in by animal control to take the wildcat from its home, after a passer-by noticed it sitting in the window.

But Zena's owner, James Brown, has hit out against police and the laws that allowed his pet to be taken.

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"I can't get my head around how they think it is better to put her in a cage, rather than with a loving family," Mr Brown told the Wandsworth Times.

"You have dogs out there ripping kids' faces off in public and my animal is minding her own business.

"I don’t understand how they categorise her as a dangerous animal. My poor Zena has done nothing wrong."

Wandsworth Times:

Police said that the serval was taken to a secure holding centre, where she would be medically examined before starting her new life in a specialist wildlife facility in the UK.

This issue came about as Mr Brown did not hold the proper licence to keep Zena as a pet.

But he said that not only had he already moved to accommodate his pet, but that he was in the process of obtaining the license.

Wandsworth Times:

"I relocated my family for this animal," he added.

"I wasn’t trying to dodge the licensing, it was never about paying the fee.

"It was about trying to do it right and accommodate her correctly.

"Police seized her at 6am and haven't told me where she is or if she is ok."

Wandsworth Times:

He added that the one-year-old animal came into his possession from a previous owner who realised how much effort it would take to provide for Zena.

The same day his serval was taken from him, Mr Brown started a petition pleading for his beloved animal to be returned to him.

But despite more than 1000 people signing it in the first five days, he isn't sure whether or not he will ever see his Zena again.

Click here to view the petition

"I'm so angry that they've taken what my daughter has become so attached to," he added.

"She isn't a beast, she isn't wild.

"Laws need to be re-evaluated and I will take this as far as I can."