A couple in France was shocked when they discovered that they received a tiger cub instead of the kitten they had ordered online.

According to details, the couple had paid 6,000 euros (Rs 1,157,793) to buy a ‘Savannah cat’. The French couple said they were doubtful about the animal after taking care of it for a week. When they called the cops, the investigation resulted in a very strange revelation that the animal was a Sumatran tiger cub.

The Sumatran tiger (Panthera tigris sondaica) is a protected species of big cats and is forbidden for private ownership. The Savannah, on the other hand, can be kept as a pet. According to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES), a tiger cannot even be transported without paperwork.

RELATED STORIES

After the case came to the light, the couple and nine other suspects were arrested for trafficking the protected species. Meanwhile, others involved in this incident are facing charges of being involved in organised crime.

The cub is in good health and was handed over to the French Biodiversity Office.