A Dubai resident surrendered a serval cat to the authority after learning that keeping wild or dangerous animals at home can harm both people and the environment. It can also lead to legal trouble for the owner.

Dubai Police handed over the cat to the Dubai Municipality to complete all necessary procedures. Since then, the serval has been moved to a specialised facility run by Civic body, where its health will be assessed and it will receive care according to animal welfare standards and environmental regulations.

Lieutenant Colonel Ahmad Khalifa Al Mazina Al Muhairi, head of the Environmental and Heritage Crimes Control Section, explained that Dubai Police's 'Safe Hand' initiative educates the public about the risks of owning dangerous animals without a licence.

He said that the resident acted responsibly by surrendering the serval, a species considered dangerous and prohibited without official permission, thereby avoiding any legal penalties.

Al Muhairi added that the initiative provides safe and confidential channels for individuals to ask questions or hand over animals voluntarily, demonstrating how awareness campaigns are fostering understanding of environmental laws and the consequences of owning or trading restricted species.“These rules are enforced under Federal Law No. (22) of 2016, which regulates the possession of dangerous animals,” he noted.

Adel Abdullah Al Karrani, Director of the Public Health Services Department at Dubai Municipality, a strategic partner of the initiative, said the handover reflects growing public awareness about wildlife protection and the dangers of keeping predatory animals at home.

A federal law, which regulates the ownership of dangerous animals passed in 2017, specifies fines of up to Dh500,000 for violators. The UAE law bans dealing in and owning wild and 'domesticated, but dangerous' animals.

It states that most wild animals cannot be reared as pets since they are“vulnerable to unpredictable behavioural changes that could go out of control”.

Additionally, possession of dangerous animals for trading will be penalised with a jail term, or a fine ranging between Dh50,000 and Dh500,000 or both.

If someone uses an animal to attack a person, he/she faces a jail term of between three and seven years if the attack causes a physical disability. If the person is killed, the penalty will be life imprisonment. If other minor injuries are inflicted, the accused faces a prison term of up to a year and a fine of Dh400,000. Those who use animals to terrorise people face a jail term and/or a range of fines from Dh100,000 to Dh700,000.

Anyone who takes a leopard, cheetah or any other kind of exotic animal out in the public faces a jail term of up to six months and a fine ranging between Dh10,000 and Dh500,000.

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